Pretty Little Liar
by starlily11
Summary: Darien has left, and Serena has stumbled upon a dark secret that she cannot reveal for fear of horrible consequences. Her guilt for keeping it hidden is slowly consuming her. When Seiya returns, will he be able to save her? Or will her light finally fail?
1. Prologue

**Pretty Little Liar**

**Disclaimer: **I think you all know by now that I don't own Sailor Moon.

**AN:** Just so we're clear, this has nothing to do with a book series or TV show that has a similar name. This is purely Sailor Moon.

**Prologue: A Deal With the Devil**

Serena faced her father, trembling from the power of the emotions she had rushing through her. Rage, pain, sorrow, and betrayal crashed down on her with the force of a massive tidal wave. Tears were trying to tear their way out of her, but by some divine power's grace, she was able to hold them back. The blonde regarded the man in front of her with a sense of both loathing and love. Loathing for what he'd done, was doing, but love because he was her father. 'Hate the sin, love the sinner,' she thought faintly.

"Serena," her father spoke her name shakily, eyes lowered in shame. He reached out a hand towards his daughter, who backed away. "Let me explain," he begged.

"What is there to explain?" the blonde asked softly. Her tone was cold. "It's hard to misinterpret anything that resembles what I saw back there." She pointed a finger in the direction they'd come from. Her right eyebrow was raised skeptically. Even though she loved her father, her rage at him was still making a small manifestation of itself.

"You're right…I keep forgetting you're not a little girl anymore."

"What, you're trying to make me forget the problem we face by going sentimental? Stop. It won't work. Do you have any idea what this would do to Mom, _your wife_, if she heard about this? God, I should tell her this minute!"

"No! No, don't do that. I'll pay you. How much do you want?"

Serena's eyes narrowed. "You're despicable," she hissed. She wasn't sure who was more surprised that she knew the word; herself or her father, "I'm telling Mom." She pulled out her cell phone. Mr. Tsukino grabbed her arm.

"Do you want to be responsible for tearing the family apart?" he asked.

The question took her so much by surprise that she stopped. She regarded her father with confusion.

"Listen to me, Serena. You think you're doing what's right, but you're not. I can guarantee you that if you tell your mother, you _will_ be tearing the family apart. Do you want that burden resting on your shoulder?"

Numbly, Serena shook her head. Would she really cause that much trouble? Her father's logic made sense somehow, even though her conscience irked her. Could she truly tear her family apart by telling the simple, cold truth? Yes, she realized. She could. Could she do the right thing for such a high price? The blonde felt completely lost. She didn't know what to do or how to react. This was over her head in the most extreme sense.

"Serena, trust me on this. If you tell your mother, the family will fall apart. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself. I don't want you to bear that kind of guilt. I only want what's best for you. You know that, right?"

No, at this point, she really didn't. Nevertheless, the girl nodded dumbly, unable to speak. Word wanted to come out, but she couldn't figure out how to organize them.

"Good. So this will be our secret? You won't tell a soul?"

Helplessly, Serena shook her head again, unintentionally indicating that she would remain silent. She didn't know what else to do.

"Good girl. You won't regret it," Mr. Tsukino smiled at her. "Anything you want, name it. I owe you, and you deserve something for making you the right choice. I noticed you eyeing a pink chiffon dress. It would look lovely on you. Does that sound good?"

Shocked, the blonde nodded her head before she even realized what she was doing. Her conscience was screaming at her not to listen, not to accept the bargain her father was offering her. She could have anything she wanted in exchange for her silence. Everything she desired could be hers…the only cost was her honesty. She didn't want this, but she'd already made the deal. She was officially trapped.

"Your new dress will be waiting for you on your bed tomorrow afternoon. If you want anything else, say the word and it's yours." Her father was smiling brilliantly at her as if she'd made his day.

The blonde walked away from him, feeling miserable. 'Oh, God,' she thought in horror, 'I've just sold my soul to the devil!' Her guilt rankled within her, and she feared that she'd made the wrong choice. She wanted to go to Trista or Amy for advice; surely one of them would know what to do! Alas, she could not do so. She'd promised to remain silent, however inadvertently, and her morals would not allow her to break any promise. Even if it was a dark one. Besides, if she went to either Senshi, she would have to tell the whole story, and it would get back to her mother somehow, and her conscience would burn her for tearing her family apart. 'What have I done?' she thought miserably.


	2. Chapter One: Guilt

**Chapter One: Guilt**

Serena couldn't bring herself to go home right away and face her mother. She needed to prepare herself. How could she go home so soon after seeing her father's betrayal and look her beloved mother in the face and lie? The blonde was wandering around the woods, and she sank against a tree, resting her head between her knees. 'I'm a hypocrite,' she thought disgustedly. 'I'm the champion of love and justice, and I'm concealing injustice and tainted love!' How could she face Luna now? How could she face anyone? If they knew what she'd agreed to, they would all be so disappointed in her. Especially Seiya.

She'd fallen for Seiya without even realizing it. When she finally figured it out, it had been too late. Stupidly, blindly, she'd clung to the illusion of a perfect future. 'Darien sure did a hell of a good job screwing that up,' she thought. For approximately three months, she had been blissfully content with Darien. But then, she'd found him shagging some college freshman girl in his apartment. Strangely, although she'd been upset, she wasn't exactly heartbroken. It felt as though her love for her prince had died a long time ago. After much rigorous soul-searching and weeks of lying awake nights examining her heart, she realized that Seiya had been the one she loved all along. But now, he was gone, having returned to Kinmoku with Taiki, Yaten, and Kakyuu-hime.

How would Seiya react if he knew what she'd done, what she'd so stupidly agreed to? He loved her for her honesty and pure heart. God, the look on his face if he knew…it would be unbearable. He wouldn't look at her with anger; no, he'd never done that. He would look at her with disappointment and pain. It would hurt her heart to see that as much as it had when he'd asked those five words on the rooftop that rainy day; 'Ore ja dame ka? Am I not good enough?' The look in his eyes then…it had been so sad…and she'd said nothing. Just like she was doing now. Honestly, it seemed that every time she remained silent, she hurt someone she loved.

The girl sighed heavily. She felt so alone and lost…and she could turn to no one. All she could do was thank her lucky stars that school was out for the summer. She didn't know how she would've survived if she had to endure school on top of everything else. With sadness causing a literal ache in her heart, and guilt burning like a bonfire inside her, she turned her eyes to the sky. It was now almost dusk. She hadn't realized how late it was. She could already see the evening star shining brightly in the clear sky.

"Seiya, you're more than good enough," she whispered to the wind. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

The blonde remained beneath the tree, watching the sky, half-hoping that she would see three shooting stars. Another part hoped she wouldn't see them again. She had disgraced herself and all those she was associated with because of her cowardice and weakness. She didn't want them to be a part of that disgrace. She was a disgrace to her mother Queen Selenity, and to the whole concept of a Sailor Senshi. She was a disgrace to the parents who had given birth to her and raised her. No; she couldn't let them know. It was her own shame; she could not ask the others to bear it. It was her burden; she must bear it alone. Her communicator beeped.

"Hello?" her tone was flat and dead-sounding.

"Serena! Thank goodness you answered! I was so worried! Where are you?" Luna cried.

"I'm _fine_, Luna. I'm in the woods."

"What are you doing there this late?"

"Thinking about things. Contemplating the cosmos, what makes passion, and whether feeling guilty is like being burned alive or drowning."

Dead silence on the other end. Clearly, the purple cat had not been expecting that kind of answer. "Serena, what is it?" she finally asked. "You seem down."

"Like I said, I'm fine. Just in thinking mode. I'm just as weirded out as you. This whole thoughtfulness thing is a new experience, and I need to adjust to it."

"You're certain you're all right?"

"Mm-hmm." The blonde winced as her conscience sharply rebuked her for the lie. The rebuke was so sharp that it fell just short of causing physical pain. She again assured Luna that she was all right, and hung up. She felt so helpless, but she couldn't burden everyone else with a problem that was hers alone. She'd gotten herself into this mess; she had to find a way out on her own. There would come a time eventually when she would have to stand alone. They wouldn't always be there, her stalwart knights standing fast.

A song that she remembered hearing Giles from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, With Feeling_ sing, circulated through her mind. She could hear the words now.

_You're not ready for the world outside._

_You keep pretending, but you just can't hide._

_I know I said that I'd be standing by your side._

_But I…_

_Your path's unbeaten, and it's all uphill._

_And you can beat it, but you never will._

_And I'm the reason that you're standing still._

_But I…_

_I wish I could say the right words, _

_And lead you through this land._

_Wish I could play the father,_

_And take you by the hand._

_Wish I could stay here,_

_But now I understand._

_I'm standing in the way._

_The cries around you, you don't hear at all._

'_Cause you know I'm here to take that call._

_So you just lie there when you should be standing tall._

_But I…_

_I wish I could lay your arms down,_

_And let you rest at last._

_Wish I could slay your demons,_

_But now that time is past._

_Wish I could stay here, your stalwart standing fast._

_But I'm standing in the way._

_I'm just standing in the way._

Those words had touched her when she'd first heard them. Giles had sounded so sad. And it had all been because Buffy was unable to stand on her own. Of course, she'd been forced to crawl out of her own grave, so that was a pretty good excuse. But what excuse did she have? She hadn't had to crawl out of any graves lately. Actually, she hadn't had to crawl out of any graves, _period_. Why? Because her friends had been there, protecting her. They weren't standing in the way, but there might come a time when they would feel the same way Giles had. They were her stalwarts, but she had to fight her inner demons on her own. She wanted so badly to lay down the load, but she couldn't do that.

Serena felt a single tear trail down her cheek. Guilt washed over her. She was lying to everyone she loved, and her father, the one who was supposed to protect her, was paying her to keep his dirty secret. He had failed her, and he was betraying her mother. He had failed Sammy…and she was the one who had to keep the family from falling apart. There was nothing she could do but bear it.


	3. Chapter Two: A New Enemy and Confessions

**Chapter Two: A New Enemy, and Confessions Part One**

After a while, Serena returned home, her face bright and smiling. Somehow, she even managed to make her eyes sparkle with a joy and purity she didn't truly feel. She kissed her mother on the cheek, and waved off Sammy's taunts with a carefree air. She even managed to hug her father without revealing the turmoil she was struggling through. As she passed him, Ken Tsukino smiled at his daughter and winked so only she could see. She got the message; it was their secret. This whole mess was his joy and her shame.

The blonde forced herself to eat every bite of her dinner, even though she felt positively ill. Through it all, she forced herself to smile at both her parents, despite the fact that she could have quite happily choked her father. But she couldn't do that. She had to hold the family together by remaining silent and maintaining the peace. It didn't matter what it cost her. Once she'd eaten, she retreated to her room, where she'd hoped to be allowed to wallow in her misery. Alas, Luna was there, and she wanted to talk.

"You don't fool me, Serena. I know you far better than that," Luna said. "Something is bothering you."

Serena forced herself to smile brightly. "Nothing's wrong, Luna," she chirped happily. "Today was beautiful, my family loves me, Rae hasn't yelled at me for two solid days…it's paradise!" The blonde barely managed not to wince as her conscience rebuked her.

Luna looked at her searchingly. "I'm sorry if I seem like a worry-wart, Serena…I just have a feeling that something's wrong."

"What? Like a new enemy?" The blonde thought idly that she would happily fight Beryl, Diamond, Nehellenia, and Chaos at the same time rather than do what she was doing now. She would gladly be attacked by the Shittenou and the Amazon Quartet again if it would make her current dilemma go away. Fighting all of her old enemies and any new ones combined would be easier than keeping her father's secret.

"No, I just have a feeling that you will become a danger to yourself…it's like you're your own worst enemy."

'You have no idea,' the blonde thought. Out loud, though, she merely said, "Well, I _am_ a klutz, and I tend to be late, and my grades stink. So maybe I'll kill myself by falling and landing sideways head first so I end up breaking my neck. Or, Rae might lose control and kill me for being late again, or my parents might have me unwound like in that book by Neil Shusterman because my grades are so bad." She chuckled lightly, hoping it didn't sound like the forced thing it was. "You worry too much, Luna. I'm fine, really."

Luna looked at her carefully, searching her mistress' face for anything that might reveal that something was wrong. Serena's smile was brilliant, and her eyes still sparkled. The cat gave up after several long moments. Serena lay down, and Luna curled up next to her. The purple cat quickly fell fast asleep. The blonde, however, remained awake. She watched Luna carefully, and once she was sure the cat was asleep, she carefully got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. No one would see anything amiss if they thought she was bathing.

Once she was safely locked in the bathroom, the blonde turned on the shower, stripped down, and climbed in. The girl promptly started crying. She knew that the sound of the water pounding down on the tiles would muffle the sound of the sobs that were too large to suppress. She had to do something; if she held it all in, she would surely go mad. She slid down the wall to the floor of the shower and rested her head between her knees. 'The price for my silence is too great to bear,' she mourned, 'And nothing I do can set me free.'

She remained in the bathroom until all of the hot water was gone, and then she readied herself for bed and lay down once again. The girl closed her eyes and fell into a troubled sleep. Her mother came in to check on her and found her daughter sprawled across the floor, fast asleep. Gently, Ilene Tsukino wrapped a blanket around her sleeping daughter and kissed her forehead. The small blonde sighed quietly in her sleep, and Ilene smiled softly. "Sleep well, dear daughter," she whispered, and left the room.

†**§†§†§†§†§†§†§†**

Serena dragged herself out of bed sometime around ten o'clock the next morning. She felt horrible, as though she hadn't slept a wink. Even though she'd slept in, it startled her to see how bad she looked when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale and drawn, making her look far older than her tender age. Dark circles ringed her eyes, evidence that her sleep had not been at all restful. To make matters worse, she'd woken up on the floor. The girl wondered how she'd ended up there. She knew she couldn't go see her friends like this, so she washed her face carefully and applied makeup to disguise the pallor of her skin. Finally, she was ready.

When the blonde showed up at Rae's as happy and bouncy as ever, she was more than a little surprised when she saw that Trista was there, along with the rest of the Outers. The Inners were there, too. Everyone's faces were deadly serious. Serena blinked and looked confused, and hoped that Trista didn't somehow know about her latest family secret. She would die of embarrassment and shame if anyone were to find out. If not that, her guilt would strike her down very quickly if she were to be confronted about it.

"What's going on?" Serena asked.

"It appears that we have a new enemy," Trista stated.

"What? But Chaos is gone!" Secretly, the blonde hoped that this meant a distraction from her other problem.

"Yes, indeed. But this enemy is not one that can be defeated."

"Whaaat?"

"The new enemy calls herself Guilt."

Oh, great…Serena had a strange feeling that this wasn't going to end well. "Isn't that an emotion?"

"Yes. This new enemy is apparently a personification."

"How do we know that?"

"Amara can explain it better than I. She's the one who met her."

Serena turned to the sky soldier with questioning eyes. The whole time, guilt was pricking her. Something in the blue-eyed blonde's subconscious told her that somehow, she and Guilt were connected. Was it possible that she had brought this new enemy on them all? She remembered her wish that she could go back to fighting monsters, and something clicked. She'd wanted something to fight, and she'd gotten her wish. Hopefully, this didn't mean all her old enemies would come back… "What happened?" Serena asked Amara.

"I was picking up a part for my car and walking home when I sensed negativity. From our experience, I knew it couldn't be anything good, so I decided to investigate. The source was a woman. She looked miserable, and everyone around her was just as miserable, and some were spilling their darkest secrets. I found myself feeling guilty about that time I hurt all of you when Neptune and I tried to double-cross Galaxia, and everything else I'd done that I had reason to regret. I felt an overwhelming urge to confess to it, too. I knew that the woman in the middle of it all was the cause; I could feel it. So I attacked."

"And then what?"

"She started telling me the things I regretted, and I couldn't stop listening. Hell, by the time she'd finished the first sentence, I was ready to throw myself off a cliff. Luckily, Trista showed up. She told me this was not the time to fight and pulled me away. I have never felt crushed by an emotion until now. Somehow, this woman had the power to cause guilt to be overwhelming. It's like she's Guilt personified."

Serena grimaced and said, "Eeww. That sounds _depressing_. So basically, if you have anything at all to feel guilty about, you're just about screwed?"

"In theory," Trista answered. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, though. You've always followed your heart and avoided causing harm to anyone. Therefore, Guilt shouldn't affect you too much."

The blonde somehow managed to keep a grin on her face, but she could not keep her eye from twitching. 'If only you knew, Trista,' she thought. 'I'm more guilty than anyone in this room.' Out loud; "How do we stop it?"

"Since everyone feels Guilt to a certain extent, we cannot do much, but we may be able to reason with her. Unfortunately, Guilt is impossible to track."

"Yikes." Serena was really hoping that if Guilt attacked her, she wouldn't spill her guts.

"It _is _kind of scary," Mina agreed. "What if one of us has a really dirty secret that they don't want anyone to know about it? If they spilled, it could be _verrry_ awkward!"

"Yes, that is a concern," Amy put in. "It might be a good idea if we confessed about anything we feel guilty about. It could be embarrassing, but it might also help protect us from this new enemy. If we unburden ourselves, we can help each other through it."

"Yeah, but what if it's a secret that could destroy a family?" Serena asked. "Like, am I supposed to say that my dad's a Mafia member and take the risk that he'll go to jail?"

"We could make a promise that none of our secrets leave this room," Lita suggested. "Is that _your _secret, Serena? 'Cause if it is, I have to wonder how you turned out the way you did."

"No, my dad's not in the Mafia. That was just an example," Serena replied. 'Actually, he's an adulterer,' she thought.

"Serena, you seem to be concerned about this idea…do you have any dirty secrets?" Rae asked slyly.

"No, of course not. I just wanted to make sure that if I choose to say that I slept with Diamond that my dad won't find out."

Everyone stared at her with mixtures of shock and horror. Trista looked like she was about to have a stroke.

"Just so you know, that never happened. I am still a virgin, and I plan to remain that way for several more years, like until I'm married," Serena assured them. "I was joking."

"Thank God," Amara gasped.

Serena giggled with a mirth she didn't really feel. "I would _never_ do something like that, guys. I just like to tease you. God, I thought Trista was going to have a stroke!"

"Don't go making jokes like that, okay? You nearly gave me a heart attack," Amara replied.

"Okay, I'll be good. No more naughty jokes. While I'm at it, I guess I'd better go ahead and admit that I'm madly in love with Seiya."

"I _KNEW_ IT!" Mina screeched. Amy smiled knowingly, and Rae muttered, "It took you long enough to admit it!" Lita burst out laughing as she noticed the horrified expressions on the Outers' faces.

"Please tell me you're just joking again," Amara groaned.

"Nope. I'm serious this time," Serena answered. The Moon Princess' face was completely sober.

"When did you realize this?" Trista asked, sounding afraid of the answer.

"I realized it after I found Darien with…that girl."

Trista couldn't help but look relieved. At least she knew her Princess hadn't been mooning over another man while she was with Darien. Not that it mattered, considering how faithless the Prince of Earth had been. Still, it was nice to know that Serena had been completely faithful. It made Darien's sin all the more glaring, and Serena remained loyal and steadfast as always. Unfortunately, it didn't change the fact that her Princess was in love with a Starlight.

"Does anyone else want to confess their undying love for the Starlights?" Amara asked tiredly. "I don't want to hear any more about it than necessary."

"I was afraid to admit it before, but I suppose now that Serena has spoken up, I might as well do the same. I've fallen for Taiki," Amy admitted shyly.

"I'm in love with Yaten!" Mina declared. "I love Healer, too. I don't care if Yaten's a boy or a girl…I love him/her no matter what!"

"I agree," Amy and Serena chorused.

"Are you done yet?" Amara asked. The sky soldier's tone was remarkably close to a whine now.

"We're done," the three girls chorused, and were silent. Serena wandered to the window and stared up at the sky.

"Star light, Star bright; first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight," the blonde whispered. "Stars, please let Seiya know how much I love him, give Fighter my love."


	4. Chapter Three: Confessions Part Two

**Chapter Three: Confessions Part Two**

That night, everything happened as before. Serena forced a smile on her face and acted as though her heart wasn't writhing in agony every second. She forced herself to be sweet and loving to her father, and hid the guilt that was consuming her from all of those she loved. As soon as she was in the shower, though, she let loose with all the tears she'd been holding back. Once again, the sound of rushing water drowned out her sobs, and no one heard. She was thankful for that, because she knew that if the family was to stay together, no one must ever see what a toll remaining silent took on her.

The blonde lay down in bed, and sank once again into a troubled sleep, filled with troubled dreams. In these dreams, her friends looked at her with disgust and disappointment. Her mother was weeping and turning her back on her daughter. Her father looked at her sorrowfully, and left the house. Luna's eyes were filled with disappointment, and she turned away, unable to bear the sight of her. Sammy glared at her with hate-filled eyes, and Seiya looked at her sadly, then disappeared into the night. The girl woke up, Seiya's name on her lips. Tears stung her eyes, but she forced them back.

"Serena? What is it?" Luna asked.

"I'm fine," the blonde whispered.

"No, you're not. Look at me and tell me that."

Serena turned her face to Luna. "I'm fine," the blonde repeated solemnly.

Luna regarded her mistress with concern. For despite the blonde's words, her face and eyes reflected a sorrow and agony beyond description. In that moment, it was as though Serena had become old beyond reckoning. Though her face was youthful, and her features glowing with the pure light of youth, the look in her eyes was frighteningly similar to the look on Queen Selenity's face when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. Seeing this look on Serena's face was frightening; someone her age should never have that look of sorrow. It wasn't natural.

It seemed that Serena heard the cat's thoughts, for as quickly as it had come, the look passed from the blonde's face, and was replaced by a soft smile. "I'm all right, Luna. I'm just tired. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, the blonde lay back down and seemed to go back to sleep. Luna remained awake, troubled. She'd seen something in Serena's eyes, a kind of knowledge that much older people struggled to cope with. The cat had never thought to see her mistress look so solemn and sad…she had never dreamed of seeing that. She wished she _hadn't_ seen it. 'Has her destiny been such a strain on her all this time?' the cat wondered. 'How did I not see it?'

†**§†§†§†§†§†§†§†§†**

The blonde showed up at Rae's the next day, determined to fess up, no matter the consequences. Surely her friends would understand what to do, and they'd help her through it. That was what they always did. She was being stupid, torturing herself like this when surely someone could aid her. She walked in the door, completely confident…and discovered she was ten minutes late. Sure, she was usually thirty minutes late, but no matter how early she was—for her, anyway—she always got some grief from Rae. All certainty drained from her. What was she thinking? She couldn't tell her friends about this!

"So we're agreed…we're going to spill our darkest secrets, and they will never leave this room?" Mina inquired.

"That is the plan," Trista agreed. "Another rule; we may not direct any derogatory, taunting, crude, lewd, or any other negative remarks after someone has spoken."

"Sounds good," Lita said. "I'll go first."

Everyone looked at her expectantly. Serena zoned out. She didn't want to hear any of it. She had no right; she was deliberately withholding her own guilt; what gave her the right to hear about others' hidden sins?

"You know my ex-boyfriend? I lied. He didn't break up with me…I broke up with him. I've regretted it ever since."

Mina gasped, and nudged Serena. The Moon Princess didn't even blink. "Uh, are you sure you didn't already tell Serena that?" she asked. "Serena doesn't seem surprised."

"Serena's a better actress than we thought," Luna muttered.

"What?" Mina turned to Luna.

Luna blushed, and denied having said a word.

"No, I didn't tell Serena," Lita stated. "But considering how nosy she is, she probably found out from someone else. But I guess she kept her mouth shut. Okay, who's next?"

"I'll go," Amy sighed. "I might as well confess…I use Cliffs Notes. But only if I can't make it through the second chapter," she added quickly.

Nonetheless, everyone except Serena was staring at her, openmouthed. Serena looked at her very calmly, completely unimpressed. Amy wondered what was going on in her ditzy friend's head.

"Oh, my God! _You _use _Cliffs Notes_?" Mina yelped. "That is _so _bad-ass! For you, anyway. You've been a _naughty_ genius!"

"Mina," Trista warned.

"Okay, I'm done. I guess I'd better go next. I cheat off Lita in Algebra."

Lita gaped at the goddess of love and beauty. "You_ what_?" she shrieked.

"I cheat off you in Algebra?" Mina repeated, sounding scared.

Lita took a calming breath, and said, "Okay…who's next?"

"I am," Rae sighed. "I'm jealous of Serena."

"For what?" Mina asked.

"She gets all the hot guys. First she gets Darien, then she gets Seiya! And she's always the one who gets to save the world!"

"Darien was a man-whore, though. And we save the world together," Mina said.

"I know that, and that's why I feel guilty. I shouldn't be envying one of my best friends!"

"She forgives you," Mina declared. "Don't you, Serena?"

Dazedly, Serena nodded. The blonde didn't hear the question, but she heard the tone, and nodded in response.

"See?"

"You're sweet, Serena," Rae said gratefully.

Serena nodded again, completely uncomprehending.

"So, Trista, what's _your_ naughty little secret?" Mina asked.

Trista blushed, and looked down. Then, she mumbled incoherently. Finally, she spoke up. "While I preach to everyone about duty, I must admit that I spend half my time reading romance novels than I do watching the Time Gate."

Gaping mouths from everyone in the room but Serena again. No one had seen that one coming.

"Me next!" Hotaru declared. "I've seen _The Exorcist_ twice with Rini, and I never told anyone until now."

Michelle and Trista turned white, and Amara moaned, "Please tell me it wasn't the one with Linda Blair!"

"It was," Hotaru admitted.

"We'll discuss this at home, missy. You're in trouble," Michelle stated firmly.

"I have a crush on Penelope Cruz," Amara admitted sheepishly.

"Ooohh," Mina muttered. Michelle gave Amara a wounded look, and Amara wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulder, and declared that her heart belonged to Michelle.

"Trista, do you remember when Amara thought you were the one who painted Amara's car pink? I did that," Michelle sighed.

Trista gave her a glare, and Amara fell over. Everyone else was cracking up. Except Serena, of course, because she hadn't heard a word anyone said. She'd completely zoned out. By now, everyone had noticed the Moon Princess' unusual silence and blank stare. Suspicion rising in her, Rae snapped her fingers right under Serena's nose. The girl didn't even bat an eyelash. Trista raised her eyebrows. She wouldn't have expected Serena to zone out when everyone's dark secrets were laid bare.

"I don't think she heard any of us," Lita murmured, shocked. "She's zoned out!"

"So everyone knows my darkest secret except Serena?" Rae yelped. "She's the only one who should really know!"

"SERENA!" Mina yelled.

The blonde in question gave a little jump, shook her head, and smiled brightly at all of them. "Hi, guys!" she chirped. "What's up?"

"You mean…you didn't hear us at all?"

"What were you talking about?"

"Oh, God! You mean you _weren't listening_?"

"No…"

Mina felt her friend's forehead. Serena wasn't hot. "She doesn't have a fever," she reported to Amy.

"Are you all right, Serena? Spacing out this badly isn't like you, especially when there's secrets involved," Amy worried.

"I'm fine, Amy," Serena replied.

"Of course she's fine," Luna snorted. "That's all any of us hear from you! 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine!' When was the last time you felt _good_?"

Everyone stared at Luna, shocked by her outburst. Luna continued, "You seem to think I'm blind, Serena, but I am not. You're miserable, and whatever it is, it's tearing you apart!"

"I think I know what's up," Mina said brightly.

They all turned to her.

"She's pining after Seiya."

"Exactly!" Serena smiled dazzlingly, hiding her disappointment in herself and at the fact that someone didn't know what it was. "I was too afraid to admit it, though, because I know the Outers don't like him, and I didn't want to upset anyone." Prick, went her conscience.

"Is this true, Serena?" Luna asked.

Serena nodded energetically, rather like a bobble-head.

"Well, that's settled. I was worried that something was seriously wrong."

"Nope," replied Serena. "I'm just pining." With that, she went home, and found a box on her bed. Inside it lay an exquisite pink chiffon dress. Feeling suddenly ill, she stuffed it into her closet, and forced away the tears that welled up inside her. She knew her friends had revealed their hidden sins, but she had been a hypocrite and lied to them all. After making certain that Luna was nowhere in the room, she sank down and cried.


	5. Chapter Four: Starlit Moping

**Chapter Four: Starlit Moping**

**AN:** Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I had a choir competition, and the homework load was positively beastly.

Seiya gazed at the stars longingly. His blue eyes were filled with a deep sadness as he watched the sky, thinking of the girl he'd left behind. 'Don't be selfish, Seiya. She's in love with someone else, and she has to fulfill her destiny. You need to let her go,' he thought. But he couldn't let go. Hadn't he promised that he would never forget? Alas, in this case, the only way he could really let go was to forget the blonde Moon Princess. And he could never do that. Stars above, even if he _could _forget, he wouldn't. The time he'd had with his Odango was precious, and should never be forgotten. He gazed at the light of his beloved. As he looked more closely, a worried frown formed on his face. Was it just him, or had that beautiful, pure shine dimmed?

"Yaten?" he called.

There was a groan from inside. Nevertheless, a silver-haired head popped out from the archway moments later. "What is it, Seiya?" he grumbled.

"Look at Odango's light. Is it just me, or has it dimmed?"

Yaten growled in frustration. His dark-haired friend's infatuation with the Princess of the Terran Senshi was getting extremely irritating. However, one look at Seiya's face told him that he'd better look. The silver-haired boy looked up, and found the light of his best friend's love interest. He regarded it thoughtfully for a moment. Come to think of it, it _did_ seem to have dimmed. Suddenly worried, he looked for the light of Mina Aino, Sailor Venus. Her light was as bright as ever; that was good. Yaten shook his head to clear it. He didn't want to think about the goddess of love and beauty right now. It was too painful. He needed to focus.

"It _does _seem to have dimmed," Yaten told Seiya. "But not much. You know that sometimes a person's shine dims when they're experiencing sadness or guilt. Sometimes people just have one of those days. I'm sure she's fine."

"You think?"

"Seiya, she's surrounded by guardians who are completely devoted to her and her prince is at her side. If she isn't all right now, she will be. You worry too much."

"I know…I just have this feeling that something's wrong."

"You and I both know what's wrong. You're lovesick."

"And _you _aren't?'

"Of course not!"

"Then why do you sleep with a picture of Mina under your pillow?" Seiya asked slyly.

"Sneak! _You went into my room?_"

"I'm the leader. It's my job to be nosy. Don't worry, though. I know for a fact that Taiki stays up late writing poems about Amy."

"You little…wait. Taiki is writing poetry?"

"Mm-hm."

"About Amy?"

"Yup."

"Oh, God…I'm surrounded by love struck idiots!"

"It takes one to know one," Seiya said smugly. "And who are you calling an idiot?"

Yaten closed his mouth. He'd gotten one bruising from Seiya this week already when he'd made one minor joke that was somewhat in bad taste about Serena. The bruise on his ass was still healing. He didn't particularly want another one. "No one," he murmured.

"Good. Because Taiki would be ticked if he heard you insulting his intelligence."

Yaten shuddered, as did Seiya. Both of them had learned in their early days together that it was not advisable, under any circumstances, to call Taiki an idiot. That single word directed at him was one of the few things that could cause the usually calm, stoic Starlight to lose his temper. Anyone stupid enough to do so would receive a reckoning that would shudder them. No, making Taiki angry was _not _a good idea.

The dark-haired boy turned back to the stars and sighed. Yaten groaned. Seiya's hopeless love for Serena was depressing. He had enough to deal with trying to get over his own love with Mina. He didn't need to constantly be reminded of her by hearing Seiya sigh over the Moon Princess. The silver-haired boy left the room, only to walk right into Taiki. The chestnut-haired boy's violet eyes were glazed over. Yaten felt concern set in.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Taiki didn't answer for a moment, just stared blankly at the wall. He gave his head a shake, and then asked, "What?"

"Are you all right?" Yaten repeated. He was worried. This wasn't like Taiki at all, to be so distracted and dazed.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just…thinking. Do you know a word that rhymes with 'radiant'?"

"Uh…no…?" 'What's going on?' Yaten wondered.

"All right. I'll just go ask Seiya." Taiki's eyes glazed over again, and he walked to the balcony where Seiya was. Yaten went back to his room.

Once there, he sank down on his bed, feeling completely and helplessly confused. He didn't know how to handle his friends nowadays. They were so consumed by love that it was messing with their heads. It was nauseating. Add that to their Princess' happiness at her upcoming marriage to her lover, and it was all the lovey-dovey stuff he could handle. Sighing, he pulled out the picture of Mina from under his pillow. "Oh, Mina…" he sighed. "Will I ever see you again?"

As soon as he realized what he'd just done, he leapt off the bed in horror. 'Oh, stars!' he thought. 'I'm becoming like Taiki and Seiya! I need to get a grip!' He fled his room and became Sailor Star Healer, and took off running. This was a frightening development. As Healer ran, she wondered what was to become of them all. She turned her green eyes back to the palace. She could vaguely see the silhouettes of Taiki and Seiya on a balcony. Both were now gazing at the stars. She sighed, and then herself turned her eyes to the sky.

The night sky was clear, allowing the stars to shine with all their brilliance and majestic beauty. It was a lovely night in every way, perfect for anything. 'Even for starlit moping,' Healer thought drily. 'The stars help us, love is going to kill us all.'


	6. Chapter Five: An Encounter

**Chapter Five: An Encounter of the Freaky Kind**

**AN:** The arrow things identify thought speak.

Serena rose from her bed the next morning after another troubled sleep. The blonde was determined to get through this, no matter what it took. She needed to think hard, and she had to make a decision about what she needed to do. Her resolution clear in her mind, she dressed for the day and faced her family with bright eyes and a cheerful smile. She had to nip this problem of hers in the bud. Of course, considering her father's crime, that was a tall order. The girl blushed once she was safely out of the house as she recalled what she'd seen her father and his secretary doing on his desk that fateful day. At the same time, pain stabbed at her heart. Her mother deserved better than that. And she, her daughter, was standing in the way. Her conscience pricked her. On second thought, 'prick' was an understatement. 'Stabbed' was a more suitable word.

The blonde walked through the streets and headed for her favorite forest glade. That was always where she went when she needed to think or read 'Harry Potter' without interruptions. Seiya and Luna were the only ones who knew that she liked those books. Luna had been shocked when she'd caught Serena reading the fifth book. Seiya had been amused, and it turned out that he enjoyed them as well, and that had resulted in several late-night discussions. Both of them disliked Snape, despite the character's noble actions, and they agreed that there should have been more than just seven books. The blonde smiled as she remembered those times. She would never have been able to discuss that sort of thing with Darien. Once again, she asked the gods why they had cursed her with the blind stupidity that had kept her from realizing how Seiya was the better match for her. The girl sat down, thinking.

"Lost, are we?" a voice sounded off to her left.

The girl leapt up and faced the source. It was a woman with brownish-blonde hair and cerulean eyes much like her own. She was dressed a lot like a Sailor Scout, and Serena wondered if maybe her theory had some merit. "Who's lost?" the girl asked the intruder.

"You know where you are physically, it's true, but what about the state of your heart? Guilt is rushing off of you in waves. You're lost in Guilt."

"Let me guess; you're Guilt."

"Ah, so the Senshi that attacked me told the rest of you. Tell me, do they know the secrets and deceit that you conceal?"

Serena didn't answer; her mind was fogging up, and her guilt was crushing her. She could barely stand; it was like her guilt was draining any strength she possessed. The girl leaned against a tree trunk, trying to stay alert. Whatever Guilt was doing, her power was overwhelming. "I don't know what you mean," she finally managed to say. Her conscience reacted by attacking her heart with a volley of pain that brought the petite blonde to her knees. She looked at Guilt in horror. She had to get out of here. If she didn't she would die soon.

"Do you not? Tell me this, then. How does your father's mistress fare?"

"My father has no mistress," the girl choked out. Another volley of pain from her conscience assailed her, and her vision went gray for several seconds. A hand wrapped around her throat, and phrases of condemnation from her family and friends reverberated in her ears, despite the fact that none of them were present. She had to call for backup, but whom? Pluto…she had to call Pluto.

Pluto… she called weakly with her mind.

The response was immediate. Princess, what is it?

Guilt… It was getting hard to breathe, and her own conscience was overwhelming…how long could she hold on?

Hold on. Uranus, Neptune, and I will be there shortly.

Hurry, she mentally gasped. With that word, her last bit of oxygen finally disappeared, and Serena's vision clouded. Her lungs burned, and she went limp.

**¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥Ѣ§¥**

Pluto raced to her Princess' aid, Uranus and Neptune mere centimeters behind her. Saturn had come along as well. All four moved as fast as they could. Pluto prayed that they wouldn't be too late. Her Princess had sounded so weak…it was terrifying to think that Guilt had gotten to her so easily. The time soldier felt a jolt run through her as her Princess' presence suddenly flickered, and then started to fade out. She let a curse slip through her lips, and reached the correct locations at last. Guilt held the blonde girl by the throat. Serena was unmoving. In that moment, Pluto completely forgot everything else.

Running on instinct, she blasted Guilt with her strongest attack, aiming so it wouldn't hit her Princess. The shock of the blow was enough to get the enemy to drop the girl. Saturn raced over and began to work on helping the Moon Princess recover. Pluto kept Guilt distracted while Uranus and Neptune tried to rouse Serena from her unconscious state. Judging from the lack of response, Pluto feared the worst. The time soldier pushed them away, but guilt was suddenly overwhelming her. She should have gotten there sooner. She should have guarded the Princess more carefully…her attack missed its target. Guilt smirked.

"I'll be in touch," said the enemy, and disappeared.

Her heart growing cold, Pluto turned her attention back to her Princess. Apparently, CPR had become necessary. Uranus was doing the universally known chest compressions, with no results. Saturn's healing powers were useless now. Neptune's face was pale, and she looked at Pluto with a mix of fear, helplessness, and despair. Nothing was working. Pluto sank down to her knees. Gods, this couldn't be happening…she'd failed her Princess.

At that moment, the Inners arrived. They'd sensed their Princess' danger. But they were too late. The enemy was gone, and the Princess was fighting for her life, or possibly dead already. Venus turned white, and Mercury looked to Pluto, hoping that the time soldier saw a positive outcome. Mars froze in shock, and Jupiter's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene that was unfolding.

"Uranus, let me try," the lightning soldier ordered.

The sky soldier nodded, willing to try anything.

Jupiter knelt beside her fallen Princess, placed both hands on the girl's chest, and sent an electric shock directly to her heart. The blonde jerked, and gasped for air. Her eyes flew open, and she glanced frantically about her in confusion. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but no sound would come out. A result of attempted asphyxiation, Pluto thought. The time soldier had a hand over her heart, trying to calm its frantic beating. The crisis was over. However, she knew that the Starlights had probably sensed this incident, and suspected that they would turn up very soon.

"Wh-where's…?" Serena tried to ask. She couldn't finish.

"Guilt's gone for now," Uranus replied softly.

"Wh-wh-what….h-happened?"

"You called for help, and we all came as fast as we could. When we got here, Guilt was strangling you. Gods, you had us scared for a minute, Kitten!"

"S-sorry…"

"Whoa, what are you apologizing for? If you hadn't called Pluto, we would've been too late!" Jupiter said. "Because you did that, we were able to save you. Besides, it's not your fault that Guilt attacked you."

Serena nodded weakly.

"Your throat's probably sore right now. Am I right?" Mercury inquired. "Don't try to talk," she ordered.

Serena nodded again. She was breathing deeply, trying to get some air back into her lungs.

"I have something that might help with that at home. Uranus?" The water soldier didn't need to elaborate. The sky soldier scooped Serena up and was ready to go. All of them powered down.

Amara carried Serena to Amy's, ignoring the petite blonde's protests that she could walk. Chances were that she was weak from her near-death experience. Amy quickly prepared some tea that was known for its ability to ease sore throats. The others kept a close eye on Serena in case of a delayed reaction to the attack. Serena drank the tea carefully, sipping daintily as was expected of a Princess. She didn't seem to terribly shaken up, considering the circumstances.

Once she was through, she asked softly, "Did anything happen while I was out? Did Guilt say anything?"

"Nothing. Just 'I'll be in touch'," Trista replied.

"All right."

"She did a real number on you, didn't she?" Rae asked.

"Yeah. I thought I was going to die. And that was _before_ she tried to strangle me."

"You felt guilty?"

"Yeah."

Rae kept her mouth shut, even though she wanted to know what Serena could possibly have to feel guilty about. She didn't want to stress Serena out, considering what had just happened.

"What_ I'd _ like to know is what you were doing wandering around by yourself," Luna stated.

"I needed to think."

"About what?" Mina asked.

"I was contemplating the cosmos again," Serena lied. "Or trying to." She winced as her conscience sharply rebuked her. Hotaru noticed.

"Where does it hurt?" the small girl asked.

"My chest," Serena replied. "My lungs felt like they were on fire."

Hotaru placed a hand there, and the pain eased.

"Did Guilt say anything to you?" Mina wanted to know.

"She just started yapping at me about hidden secrets and how I was hiding deceit, whatever that means." The blonde's conscience pricked her.

"You? Hiding deceit? That's crazy!" Mina laughed.

Serena kept silent, just grinned to show she agreed. Trista noticed Luna looking at the blonde oddly, searchingly, as if looking for some hidden truth. What did it mean.

"You need to be more careful, Serena," Michelle said softly. "We got lucky this time, but we might not the next time."

"I know. But what should I do?"

"Try not to go wandering off on your own."

"All right. I don't want to run into Guilt again, either. That was an extremely freaky experience." Serena wasn't lying about that, at least. Her encounter with Guilt had been one of the freaky kind, and the enemy's power over her was unnerving.


	7. Chapter Six: The Aftershocks

**Chapter Six: The Aftershocks**

**AN:** If you can guess what this chapter is about and tell me in you review, you get a virtual chocolate chip cookie.

"Missed me!" Fighter teased as she dodged yet another one of Healer's blasts. "You'll have to be faster than that!"

They were training, and Healer was getting increasingly frustrated. Fighter was at the top of her game today, and no matter what anyone tried, nobody could get her to stand still long enough so they could knock the smirk off her face. Maker was chuckling quietly. The chestnut-haired girl was referee during this particular bout. _Someone_ had to keep Healer and Fighter from killing each other! She smiled at Healer's irritation and Fighter's arrogance. It was a relief to get a break from all of the moping they'd been doing lately.

"Hold still, damn it!" Healer snapped. "If you want to get blasted so bad, try staying in one place!"

"That would completely defeat the whole point of this exercise, Healer," Fighter mock-lectured, wagging a finger. "Maybe you just need to move faster!" She jumped out of the way of another blast, laughing like a lunatic.

Healer groaned. "Do you want a go, Maker?" she asked. "My temper has reached its limits."

"Try one more time, you can do it," Maker encouraged. Then, in a whisper, she added, "Say something random, and it might cause her to delay her reaction."

"Thanks," Healer said. Then, she yelled, "OH, MY STARS! A GIANT PURPLE MONKEY!"

Fighter stared at her friend, wondering what she was on about. Healer aimed another attack and fired. Fighter began to move out of the way just as a wave of pain assailed her heart. Healer's attack grazed her arm, but she didn't even feel it next to the inner pain she was experiencing. She clutched her chest, and her eyes widened as she realized what it was. The light of a star had gone out. And it wasn't just any star.

"Fighter!" Healer saw her friend drop to her knees and ran towards her. Pain assailed her heart as well, and a surprised gasp from Maker let her know that the violet-eyed girl felt it, too. Healer stared at the sky, searching for an answer, and the pain numbed, making her heart go cold as she saw Serena's light flickering dangerously. After several minutes of this, it finally went out. "Oh, stars, no!" she gasped. She was at Fighter's side in an instant.

The dark-haired girl was staring at the sky in disbelief, unwilling to accept what had just happened. "Odango," she said softly. "Oh, gods, no!" she moaned.

Healer wrapped her arms around her friend, even though fear was rushing through her. There was no telling what this would do to Fighter. If Fighter ever had one major weak spot, it was the Moon Princess. Furthermore, what could it mean? What could have killed Serena, with all of her Senshi constantly around her? She exchanged a look with Maker, who was looking just as frightened. Neither of them knew how Fighter was going to deal with this.

Suddenly, Healer felt something that she hadn't felt since after Chaos was defeated. She could feel the light of a star being restored. With relief, she watched how Serena's light flickered back into existence. That bright, pure light was restored, thank goodness. It was still dimmed like it had been last night, but that seemed minor compared to the fact that it had gone out completely seconds ago. Maker let out a relieved sigh, and released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Fighter looked up in wonder, and the tears that had begun to flow from grief now became tears of joy and relief.

"Thank the gods," Maker sighed.

"I wonder what happened…" Healer wondered.

"There's only one way to find out," Fighter said softly.

"Time to talk to the Princess," Maker said.

The other two nodded, and together, they stood and walked into the palace.


	8. Chapter Seven: Nothing But a Shadow

**Chapter Seven: Nothing But a Shadow**

Eventually, Serena managed to get home, and as soon as she walked in, she sensed that something had happened. Her mother and father were arguing. Her father had yet to take off his coat; clearly, he'd been with his mistress. He never worked this late. It was apparent that her mother had her suspicions, and Serena allowed herself to hope that perhaps her other would figure out what was going on, and she could unburden herself. The blonde entered the room. Her father noticed her, and he seemed relieved. That was when Serena realized the trap she'd just walked into. Her mother had no idea what was going on, and her father expected her to cover for him.

"What's going on?" the girl asked.

"Ken, where were you?" Ilene asked her husband. "You never come home this late; why start now?"

"It's nothing honey, really," Ken replied to his wife.

Serena felt sick as she realized what was obviously about to happen. She was helpless to stop it; how could she do so without destroying her family? How could she allow her mother's heart to be torn to pieces? She looked at her father pleadingly, begging him not to do what he was clearly about to do. She couldn't be a part of this; it would kill her. It was wrong, it went against everything she believed in, everything she, as Sailor Moon, was expected to uphold.

"I just had to get a few things for Serena. She discovered that she ran out of tampons, and she's picky about the kind she gets. It took me a while to find the right kind."

Serena felt a lump form in her throat, and her heart ripped itself in two. Her father was using her as his cover story. Her mom looked at her.

"Serena, is this true?" Ilene Tsukino asked.

Mutely, Serena nodded. She felt like the lowest of the low.

"Why didn't you ask me to go?"

Serena swallowed, and, in a steady voice, replied, "You were so busy, Mom. I knew you had a lot to do, and that you were tired. I didn't want to add to it, so I asked Dad."

Behind her mother's back, her father gave her a thumbs-up. Her mother walked over to her and hugged her. Serena accepted the hug, feeling wretched. She was worse than Beryl and Diamond combined. At least those two were honest about their intentions. They didn't conceal their evil with pretty lies. The blonde returned the hug and went upstairs. As she ascended to her room, tears spilled from her eyes. She brushed them away, and, as if she were in a dream, went to her window.

Once she was standing at the window, she turned her eyes to the stars. She'd once been the brightest light, but now, she was the darkest night. She had broken every oath she'd made when she'd become the champion of love and justice. She no longer deserved to carry that title and power. She no longer deserved the respect she got, nor the love of the ones who loved her. The blonde brushed away more tears, and whispered, "I don't deserve any of the people I have. I'm not worthy; I've always suspected it, but now I've proven it beyond a doubt."

"Serena, are you all right?" It was Luna.

"I'm fine," the blonde replied dully.

"No, you're not. You're hiding something, and it's tearing you apart. What's wrong?"

"I'm not who everyone thinks I am…I'm not the person you guys want me to be, and I can never be who you want me to be. I'm not the champion of love and justice; I'm not a princess, especially not Serenity…what everyone sees in me is nothing but a shadow and a thought. I've never been a hero…I'm just a ditz who was in the wrong place at the worst time imaginable."

"What? That's nonsense! Who told you such things? Honestly, if you aren't a hero, then why do you risk your life to save the ones you love? Why do you risk your life to save innocents?"

"Because that's what I choose. The thing is; it's not unselfish like everyone says it is. There's no such thing as unselfishness unless you're God, or something. Those who are called 'selfless' are still selfish, because they do the things they do because that's what _they_ want."

"Did Guilt tell you all this?"

"Guilt has nothing to do with this. What I say comes from my own mouth, the thoughts I share formed by my own mind."

Luna looked at Serena with genuine fear and worry. Had her charge always entertained such dark thoughts? What had happened to her? Would she harm herself? The cat feared for the girl. The way she was talking; it was clear that the blonde had lost sight of herself and that she was in deep turmoil. "Serena…" The cat could see the tears in her mistress' cerulean eyes. "Don't talk like that. You're too young to think like this...you're tearing yourself apart."

"Trust me…I deserve nothing less." The blonde's eyes dried, and her face became shut and cold. "Actually, I deserve worse." The girl left the room and disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Luna watched her go, wondering what had caused such darkness to enter the blonde's heart.

**Ѣ¥****†****Ѣ¥****†****Ѣ¥****†****Ѣ¥****†****Ѣ**

As soon as she'd gotten away from Luna and was safely in the shower with the water running, Serena broke down and wept. First, her father forced her to hide his treachery, and now, he was forcing her to cover for him. She was weak; why couldn't she bring herself to tell someone? She knew why. If she told, her family would fall apart, and her mother's heart would break. Could she handle being responsible for that? Could she bear being the one who destroyed her family?

She let the water run until every drop of hot water was gone. Even so, she made no effort to get out. Cold water crashed down on her, causing her body to go numb. It did nothing to soothe the pain in her heart. Nothing could do that. If someone had to suffer, it would only be her. She wouldn't let her mother suffer the pain of heartbreak and betrayal. She'd gotten herself into this; she had to stick it out and deal with it. She had no right to place her burden on the shoulders of someone else. Not even her father.

"SERENA! ARE YOU TRYING TO DROWN YOURSELF OR SOMETHING?" Sammy yelled.

Hmm, that wasn't a bad idea…all she had to do was clog the drain somehow, and she could end it all. She smacked herself. She couldn't do that. She couldn't do that to her mother, or Luna, or her friends. The Starlights would sense that…she couldn't hurt Fighter like that! She couldn't hurt Seiya in such a way! The blonde turned the water off, dried herself, and put on her pajamas. When she left the bathroom, she forced herself to smile at Sammy, who rolled his eyes and muttered something about girls being weird. The girl retreated to her room and flopped down on the bed.

Her dad knocked lightly on the wall. "May I come in?" he asked.

"If you must," the blonde sighed.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did. I know it was hard on you."

"Whatever."

"How about I buy you a pair of shoes to go with that dress?"

"Whatever."

"Is that a yes?"

"Whatever."

"All right. Your shoes will be on your bed tomorrow afternoon. Good night." He kissed her forehead gently, and left. Once he was gone, Serena wiped it off.

"What was that all about?" Luna inquired.

"Nothing."

"I guess I should have known that would be your answer. Honestly, Serena…don't you know you can talk to me or the Scouts if something's wrong?"

"I do. Can I go to sleep now?"

Luna sighed. It was clear that the blonde didn't want to talk. "Yes, you can."

"Thank you." Serena closed her eyes, and Luna gazed at the moon.

"Selene," the cat whispered. "Hear my prayer. Help Serena overcome her fears and let her know that we are all with her."


	9. Chapter Eight: The Decision

**Chapter Eight: The Decision**

**AN: **Two guesses on what happens in this chapter…

Kakyuu listened to Sailor Star Maker's speech calmly, not revealing her thoughts. It was obvious what her Starlights wanted; she'd seen it in their eyes ever since they'd returned to Kinmoku almost a year ago. She'd sensed it when the Moon Princess' shine went out, and she understood her Starlights' anxiety. She herself was concerned about what could be happening on Earth, and knew that it was time for them to return. She was just concerned about Fighter. 'Seeing Serenity-hime could open old wounds…' the Fireball Princess worried silently. 'I don't want Fighter to suffer more heartbreak.' Still, it wasn't her place to stop Fighter from going. That would only hurt her even more. It could also mean disaster if a battle needed to be fought; the Starlights, like the Sol Senshi, were strongest when they were together.

Her Starlights were watching her, waiting for her reply. They knew that it would be awhile before they could leave. They had to make certain that their Princess would be safe in their absence, and then there was the emotional preparation required. It was out of the question for them to leave permanently. That could never happen. And then one had to factor in Fighter's unrequited love. Healer and Maker could most likely stay with Mercury and Venus if they desired, but their duty to their Princess came first to them. Then, there was the, ah…gender issue. The good people of Terra tended to be picky and/or close-minded about that sort of thing.

Kakyuu smiled kindly at her Starlights before she replied, "I understand your reasoning, my Starlights…you may certainly go to Earth. All I ask is that when you return, you let me know, and inform me if any real trouble has arisen. I will join you if necessary." She meant it when she said that; if any real trouble arose, she would join her Starlights and personally see to it that they all returned to her safely.

"Of course, Princess," Maker replied calmly. The chestnut-haired girl failed to hide the slightest hint of a smile. Healer and Fighter were grinning broadly.

The Fireball Princess dismissed her guardians shortly afterwards, and smiled as she watched them leave. She could tell that all three of them were already planning what they were going to do once they returned to Earth, and that they were dreaming of the ones they loved. 'It is not fair," the redhead thought. 'It is not fair that Fighter is trapped in an unrequited love because Serenity-hime has a predetermined destiny.' Kakyuu wished that she could find a way to make it less painful for her most devoted guard. Silently, she swore that if any opportunity arose where Fighter could be granted her heart's desire, she would make the dark-haired girl take it. Fighter deserved to be happy. All of them did.


	10. Chapter Nine: The Inquisition

**Chapter Nine: The Inquisition (Not the Historical One)**

Luna could not contain her worry. She begged and pleaded with Serena the next morning to let her know what was wrong. All she got was cold, stony looks and silence. Serena was determined to keep her secrets, and nothing Luna could do moved her. The blonde had revealed a stubborn streak that no one could have guessed she possessed. The cat begged, pleaded, threatened, even broke down and wept. Nothing could convince the blonde to divulge what was going on and what had prompted her odd behavior the night before.

Finally, tired of the whole mess, Serena left the house; ignoring Luna's order's to stop. The cat sighed and went to Rae's temple, where the others were. Artemis took one look at her and knew that something was going on. Luna tried to evade him when he questioned her, but her soul mate was too stubborn, and her love for him finally convinced her to explain the situation. When the Scouts realized the possible damage Guilt had done, they were all terrified. Had they failed so badly to protect their Princess?

A half hour later, Serena walked in. She froze when she saw the way the others looked at her, but she shrugged it off and sat down. "What's up?" she asked.

"Kitten, did Guilt…say anything to you? Did she say anything that might have hurt you or scared you?" Amara asked quietly.

"Nope," was the casual reply.

Amara watched the blonde closely as she prodded a bit more. "You know that if anything happened, you can tell us. We'll do something about it." As she watched the petite blonde, she noticed a slight change in the girl's features. It only lasted a fraction of second, and if she hadn't been looking closely, she would have missed it. The briefest spasm of pain flashed across her face and in her eyes. It happened so fast it was almost impossible to catch, but she'd seen it. And the amount of pain she'd seen was frightening.

"I'm fine, Amara. "

"Then why were you trying to drown yourself last night?" Mina asked.

Serena looked at Luna, realized that the cat had told on her, and sighed. "I wasn't trying to drown myself, Mina," she said calmly. "I was trying to figure out what was more painful; hot water or cold water." The lie was an incredibly flimsy one; they all saw through it.

"Bullshit," Rae muttered.

"All right, yeah, it wasn't that. But I wasn't trying to drown myself, either. I was thinking."

"About how unselfishness doesn't exist and why you _think_ you're not worthy to be our Princess?" Amara asked calmly. "Again, did someone say something to you? Who was it?"

"Myself," Serena answered, her tone rather curt. "What is this, the Inquisition?"

"Do you even know what that is?" Rae asked skeptically.

"Yeah. It was a time in the Middle Ages when Queen Isabella decided to see who was Catholic and who wasn't, so a bunch of soldier went through Spain and 'inquired' about people's religious beliefs. People were harshly questioned and tortured a lot."

Rae gave Serena a look and asked Amy, "Is she right?"

Amy replied, "She has the gist of it, so yes, she's right."

"I'm not sure it's fair to compare us to the Inquisition when we're just trying to make sure you don't do something stupid and hurt yourself," Lita commented.

"Wow, I'm really feeling the love in this room! You guys think so little of me that you actually believe I'd go cutting myself or try to off myself!" Serena snapped.

Dead silence. "Actually, we never really considered that, but since you mentioned it, it's clearly crossed your mind," Trista said solemnly.

Serena used a few choice words she'd picked up from her father when he'd gotten intoxicated one New Year's Eve, and left. Trista watched her go, and Michelle got up and followed the blonde. Amara stared after her Princess in shock. She'd never known her Kitten to go off like that. But then, she'd never known the girl to keep secrets, either. This day had been a learning experience.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Luna worried.

"You did the right thing, Luna," Amy said quietly. "I think we would have realized something was wrong eventually. We just pushed her too hard."

†**ж****Ѣж****Ѣж****Ѣж****Ѣж****Ѣж****†**

Michelle found the blonde with her head resting in one hand beneath a tree. As she got closer, the teal-haired woman realized that the girl was rubbing her temples, as if her head were hurting her. The other hand clutched her heart, as though she was trying to claw the organ from her chest. The blonde's eyes were closed, but Michelle knew her well enough to know that she was in tears or close to it. The older woman felt a little guilty. Trista had been harsh with her remark, but it had a ring of truth to it. None of them had really considered that Serena might do something that drastic. Yet, the blonde had mentioned it.

Serena raised her head and opened her eyes. They were completely dry. Nevertheless, Michelle saw a spasm of pain flash across the blonde's face as she realized she wasn't alone. Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry I kind of lost it back there," she said quietly. "I just felt like I was being smothered."

"I understand. We're just worried about you. You've been acting strange lately."

"It's just that my dad and I don't really see eye-to-eye on this one thing, and the whole situation has me tense and feeling trapped. When you guys started in, my fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, and I just…snapped."

"Luna mentioned that something was going on there. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No…it'll be over soon." 'If I die quickly,' the blonde added silently.

Michelle sensed a double meaning behind the words, and felt apprehensive. "Don't do anything rash," the teal-haired woman said. "If you feel like you might do something, call me."

"All right." 'Hmm, does killing my dad count as 'rash'?' the blonde wondered. 'If it does, I might just take my chances.' At the thought, the blonde recalled the day this had all begun, and her face changed.

Michelle watched her Princess' face change uneasily. The blonde's face at first was perfectly calm, but her eyes blazed with some searing indeterminable emotion. Then, it hardened and became cold and shut. The expression remained in place for a few moments, then melted away and faded into nothing. It was unnerving; Serena was not meant to look so cold and distant. Serena's face should not change like that and then slide so easily back into her usual mask. Michelle wondered if any of them really knew Serena that well.

"I'll be fine, Michelle. Really. I just need to resolve this thing with my dad, and I'll be myself again," Serena said, smiling sweetly.

Michelle nodded, and watched Serena walk away. 'I fear that you won't, Princess,' she thought. 'I fear that whatever has happened has changed you forever.'


	11. Chapter Ten: Fading

**Chapter Ten: Fading**

Seiya watched the sky worriedly. His Odango's shine had dimmed even more these past couple weeks. It was still fairly bright, but not half as bright as it should have been. The Sol Senshi's lights had not faded at all. It was only the light of his Odango that was failing. It wasn't right…had something happened? Had something…or someone, hurt her? The dark-haired boy felt a terrible fear as he imagined what could be happening to the love of his life right now. Something was wrong…the light of his Odango was failing. That could never happen. He wouldn't be able to bear it if it did. He could stand being rejected by her; he could handle knowing that she loved another. But he could never handle losing her.

"It's gotten dimmer," Yaten commented quietly. "Thank goodness we're leaving tomorrow…it doesn't look good."

"I just wish I knew what was going on…what if Darien's hurting her?" Seiya worried.

"I don't think that's it," Yaten replied, trying to reassure his friend.

"Do you think she could be ill…could she have something like cancer?" The dark-haired boy's eyes widened and dilated in sudden fear. "Oh, stars, no!"

"No, it probably isn't that. And if it is, I bet the Silver Crystal will take care of it. Or Saturn will."

"Then what could cause it?"

"I don't know…well, there's another idea…" Yaten was reluctant to say what it was.

"What is it?"

"She could be willing herself to die."

"No," Seiya said firmly. "She would never do that."

"I agree. That's extremely unlikely, considering Serena's personality," Taiki commented. "But something is not right. I can only hope that nothing too horrible has happened." All three knew that he was worried about Amy.

"Agreed," Yaten said. "But if it was really bad, it would be affecting everyone, not just Serena."

"So it must be a personal problem," Taiki thought aloud.

"Maybe her dad's cheating on her mom and they're getting a divorce," Yaten suggested.

"That might do it," Taiki agreed.

"No…they seem like a tightly knit family," Seiya said. "I can't see that happening."

"Okay…maybe somebody died, or someone in the family's sick."

"That's depressing, Yaten."

"I know…but I'm just trying to figure out what could be going on."

"Still, do you have to do it before I turn in? You're going to make it even harder for me to sleep."

Yaten grinned evilly. "You want me to make it hard for you to sleep, huh? Picture Serena doing the crucifix scene from _The Exorcist_."

Despite Seiya's best efforts, he couldn't keep a horrible image from springing into his mind. He groaned, and gave Yaten a death glare. Taiki sighed; he hated it when Yaten got like this. Yaten was grinning wickedly, and dashed out of the room just as Seiya went to wring his neck. Seiya followed, and Taiki shook his head. 'I'm surrounded by lunatics,' he thought. 'One is the devil incarnate, and another is blinded by love.'

**§¥†¥†¥†¥†¥†¥†¥†¥†¥†¥§**

**BACK ON EARTH….**

Serena stood on a bridge, staring at the water below. It was a pleasant day, but very windy. The blonde watched the water crash against the shoreline. The bridge was high up enough that the fall could do her some serious injury. She thought about how easy it would be to jump in, and let the water take her. It would be so simple…she could end it all right here, right now…no. The blonde shook her head fiercely. She wouldn't do that. She couldn't hurt her friends like that. She'd hurt Seiya once with her rejection; could she stand to give him a worse wound by taking her own life? No…no, she could never do that. The girl left the bridge, hoping to abandon those dark thoughts.

She walked for a long time, and found herself in the glade where she always went to think. She thought about her father. He'd gotten her shoes to match her dress; they matched the gorgeous dress in every way; in color, style, beauty, and quality. Her father had spared no expense. His secrets were important to him. He was hurting her in the worst possible way, and she often dreamed of killing him, but she could never bring herself to consider doing it. Even after all he'd done, she somehow loved him still. The blonde bit back a wail of frustration. People always told her they admired her for her endless capacity for love and her inability to hate! Didn't they understand how much it hurt? Didn't they realize that it was a curse, her most damning quality? Because of this flaw in her heart, she didn't have the strength to do what was right!

"We meet again, Serenity." Guilt.

Serena leapt to her feet and faced Guilt. Guilt looked different now…her hair had lightened, and was now almost as blonde as she was. Guilt was beginning to resemble her more and more. "You again," Serena sighed. "I guess I should've known it would be you." She remained prone on her feet. "You'd best kill me now," she advised. "This is the best chance you'll have."

"Why so eager to die?"

"I deserve death."

"Considering your deceit…yes, I see that. Do your friends know about this?"

"No. They can never know. They know that something is consuming me, draining me, but they don't know the cause."

"Ah…I see." Guilt had her pinned against a tree in an instant. "Before I kill you, I want you to answer a question for me."

"Ask away," Serena gasped.

"Where do I come from?"

"You come from me. You are my guilt manifesting itself. I wished for something to fight, and I got my wish. However, I didn't know what I asked. My guilt has not faded; it has only grown stronger. It's consuming me, killing me. The more I fade, the stronger you become."

"I see…do you know what will happen to me if I should kill you?"

"No…you might…fade away, or you might…become me."

The grip on her throat suddenly relaxed. Serena looked at Guilt in confusion.

"I cannot risk losing my own life," Guilt explained. "And since I exist because of you, killing you might well end me. Farewell…for now."

Serena sank against the tree as Guilt disappeared. She clutched her heart as it burned. Her conscience was rebuking her for almost allowing herself to be killed. The blonde tasted the salt of her tears as they sprang from her eyes. She felt so lost and alone…but she could turn to no one. No one could know…no one could ever know…the blonde wrapped her arms about her torso. She felt as though she were falling to pieces, and it hurt more than anything. She wiped the tears away, and forced herself to stand. As she did so, another piece of her already shattered heart broke, and she felt herself die a little more. She wished she could just claw her heart out her chest; maybe she could rest in peace then.


	12. Chapter Eleven: The Return

**Chapter Eleven: The Return**

The Starlights arrived on Earth sometime around six in the evening the day after Serena's second encounter with Guilt. It wasn't difficult for them to get their old apartment again, and they discussed what they should do. Taiki, proper to the letter, was inclined to call them first, as etiquette dictated. Yaten didn't care; he just wanted to see Mina again. Seiya wanted to just go to Serena's and see if she was all right. Her shine had faded a little more the night before. The three argued some, and finally, realizing the time, decided that it was best to wait until the next day. Everyone was probably eating dinner by now. Seiya retired early, and looked to the stars. 'Odango, what's happened to you?' he thought.

The next day, the Starlights made sure that they were safely incognito and went to Rae's temple, as that was usually the girls' meeting place, whether it was summer or not. Sure enough, they were there. Along with the Outers. Seiya barely managed to stifle a groan. He didn't want to get nearly killed by Amara right now. When they knocked and were admitted, Trista didn't even bat an eye. She simply said, "I was wondering when you three would show up."

"We just got her last night," Taiki stated calmly. Seiya found that he was too close to Amara for comfort, so he inched away until he was at a safe distance. That safe distance happened to be almost on the other side of the room. Yaten noticed this, and snickered.

Amara noticed, too, and she snapped, "Don't worry, idiot. I don't feel like killing you, and the Princess wouldn't be too happy if I did."

"Where _is_ Serena, anyway?"Mina asked.

"She was using up all the hot water again when I left," Luna sighed.

"She's been doing that a lot lately," Rae mused.

"Is she all right?" Seiya asked, no longer able to restrain himself.

"Physically, yes. Emotionally and mentally…that's another story."

"What happened?" Taiki asked.

"We have a new enemy," Lita sighed. "Calls herself Guilt."

"And with good reason," Rae added. "She makes you recall every bad thing you've ever done in your life."

"She attacked Serena and temporarily killed her," Mina put in helpfully. Everyone else glared at her. Seiya turned white. "Don't worry, though," she said quickly. "We saved her. She's fine now."

"Except for the fact that she's miserable," Luna worried. "She keeps saying that the person we see is formed by nothing but a shadow and a thought."

"Has something happened?" Taiki asked.

"Not that I know of. Her mother, father, and brother are fine. Although…"

"What is it, Luna?" Yaten asked quietly.

"Her relationship with her father is a little strained…something is going on there, I think. Not like _that_," she added quickly, as she noticed the look of horror that was forming on Seiya's face. "More like he has a secret and she knows what it is, but he's bribing her to keep it."

"With what?"Mina asked.

"Well, he mentioned a dress, and he apparently bought her a pair of shoes to match. I saw her shove them into her closet."

Yaten whistled. "Sounds like something big," the silver-haired boy said thoughtfully. "It would depend on the quality of the dress and shoes, though. If they're really pricey, it means she has some major dirt on him. If they're not, it means minor to moderate dirt."

Everyone stared at him. "Have you had some experience in that sort of thing, Yaten?" Taiki asked.

"Nope. I just watch TV."

"Well…the dress came in a white box reading 'Vera Wang'…" Luna said.

Mina, Lita, Rae, and Amy all fell over. Michelle choked, Trista's eyes widened, and Amara whistled. Taiki's eyebrows rose, and Yaten looked shocked. Seiya was stunned. They all knew that name…Vera Wang was a designer, and her designs could be _ridiculously expensive_. If Serena's dad was buying her dresses by Vera Wang, he must be desperate to keep his secret.

"And the shoes?" Mina squeaked.

"Vera Wang as well."

"Holy shit," Yaten said. "She has some serious dirt on him, then."

"But what could she possibly know that would make him that desperate?"

"I think it's time to use the Time Gate," Trista stated calmly. "Serena is being unusually stubborn; we won't get it out of her. So the Time Gate is the only way we'll be able to find out what is going on."

"Agreed," they all chorused.

Serena walked in at that moment. The blonde in question was wearing an expression that could only be classified as brooding. She noticed the way everyone was looking at her and sighed. "What?" she groaned.

"Look a little to the right," Mina said helpfully.

Serena gave her friend an odd look, but she obeyed, and hey eyes met Seiya's midnight blue ones. She stared blankly at him for minute, vaguely uncomprehending, as if she was trying to ascertain that he was actually there in the flesh. Once she'd decided that he was really and truly there, she squealed, and Seiya found himself the recipient of a massive hug.

Seiya smiled softly and returned the hug. He didn't say anything about the lines on her face that shouldn't have been there, nor the barely hidden pain in her eyes. That could wait.

"How long have you guys been here?" she asked.

"We just got here last night."

"Awesome."

"How have you been?"

My dad's sleeping with his secretary behind my mom's back, and I can't tell anyone because I'll destroy my family. I sincerely hope my son-of-a-bitch father gets the world's worst case of the clap and that his penis rots off in the most slow and painful way possible, she thought. Out loud, though, she smiled brightly and replied, "Great."

Luna snorted, and Yaten looked at Serena oddly. Taiki examined the blonde's face searchingly, but found nothing. Seiya felt a stab of pain as he saw a spasm of pain flash across her face as she told the lie. He couldn't stand seeing her look so tortured. Where was Darien? Shouldn't he be helping her at a time like this?

Yaten was the one who was brave enough to ask that question. "So, where's Darien?" he asked.

Serena rolled her eyes, and made a shooting gesture with her fingers. Amara, Trista, and Michelle all looked suddenly more irritated, and Rae coughed, "Bastard!"

At the looks of confusion on the three boys' faces, Serena took pity on them. "I found him…ah…" she decided not to put it the way she usually did, and searched for a polite way to explain. "I found him doing something very naughty on his kitchen table when I dropped by his apartment one day when he didn't expect me. I believe he was with a college freshman." And two months later, I found my dad shagging his secretary on his desk, she added silently.

Yaten cringed, and Taiki winced. Seiya's eyes darkened in anger.

"It's cool, though. I'm over him. After I told him to get lost, I had some time to prioritize." Serena seemed genuinely unconcerned.

"Here it comes," Amara sighed. "If you're going to say what I think you're going to say, you'd better do it quickly."

Seiya looked at the sky soldier in confusion, and Serena suddenly blushed and started tripping over her own tongue.

"Spit it out, Serena!" Rae burst out.

"I realized that I'd fallen for someone else," Serena managed to say, before blushing even harder.

"Who?" Seiya asked, genuinely curious.

Serena shook her head, unable to speak.

Mina couldn't take it anymore. "She declared her undying love for you a few weeks ago, Seiya," she announced.

Yaten choked, and Taiki grinned in spite of himself. It was an odd turn of events, but not altogether unpleasant. Seiya's brain blew a fuse as he wrapped his mind around this new development.

'It's not like _you_ didn't declare _your_ undying love for Yaten!" Serena retorted.

Mina flushed, and Yaten slung an arm around her waist. The embrace soon became a passionate kiss.

"Now's the time, Amy," Lita whispered. "This might be your only chance."

"I can't," Amy protested, blushing.

"Fine, I'll do it," the tall brunette replied. "Taiki, Amy's too shy to say it, so I'd better just go ahead and do it for her-."

"I love you," Amy said loudly, looking directly at the violet-eyed boy who'd stolen her heart.

Taiki was across the room in an instant, and his arms encircled her waist. His lips rested on hers, gentle at first, asking her permission. She consented, and fireworks glowed behind her closed eyelids.

That left Seiya and Serena, staring at each other, both a little uncertain and shy. Finally, Seiya took a step forward towards his love, and she flew into his arms. He kissed her softly, with a great amount of tenderness and gentleness. He felt her lips beneath his, equally gentle, and he parted his lips slightly…you know where this goes from here, please don't make me soil innocent minds with more details.

When they parted, Seiya looked into her eyes. They were shining brightly, and they held no trace of pain as she looked up at him. Seeing her restored to her usual pure, sweet self, even if it was only temporary, warmed his heart. Her head found its way onto his chest, and they stood there for several long moments, basking in the warmth and healing balm of their love. Seiya wished they could stay this way forever…

The annoying ring of a cell phone sounded, and Serena pulled it out, checking the caller id. As she read the number, her eyes darkened, and the pain reasserted itself. The shadows reappeared in her eyes, and Seiya knew that he had to work fast if he was to save her. The blonde excused herself quietly, and disappeared into a more private area. Seiya watched her go with a sudden pain in his heart; seeing his angel so broken hurt him worse than anything.

**AN:** I know…I'm evil.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Yaten Has A Theory

**Chapter Twelve: Yaten Has a Theory**

**AN: **You know things are bad when Yaten has a theory…what on Earth is going on inside my favorite silver-haired Starlight's mind?

Yaten could have kicked himself for the Darien faux-pas, had he been given the chance. However, Serena clearly hadn't suffered too terribly. After all, she and Seiya were now together, which was a good thing. Or at least, it _would_ be if he couldn't feel the guilt, agony, and sheer self-loathing that was rolling off of her in waves. Yaten was concerned, both for the blonde's own sake, and for the sake of his best friend and the love of his life. He watched the blonde leave the room, and wondered who she was talking to. She'd seemed a lot happier for a minute there, when she and Seiya had been smooching. Now, thanks to whatever idiot had called, she was back to her guilt, agony, and self-loathing again.

It was probably her dad, the silver-haired boy mused. Luna had mentioned that Serena and her dad were having some issues…and the guy was buying her Vera Wang. 'Whatever she knows, it's big,' he thought. 'And she hates keeping it a secret. I can tell that much from her emotions.' Yaten tried to take his mind off of the power of the blonde's emotions. Serena had always felt too much; her emotions were always magnified ten times more than anyone else's. He'd known that much since the day he and his comrades had met the Sol Senshi. The power of her emotions nearly always gave him a migraine.

Serena walked back in a few minutes later, her eyes even more shadowed than before. Her feelings of guilt and self-loathing had increased tenfold. Yaten looked at Seiya. He could tell that his friend sensed the pain Serena was in; the dark-haired boy's eyes were filled with concern. The Outers had sensed it as well; Trista was even more tense, and Amara watched Serena with worried eyes. Michelle's face was serene, but Yaten could sense her worry and concern.

'Good grief,' the silver-haired boy thought. 'She's going to kill herself if she keeps all of those emotions bottled up! She's half-gone already!'

He heard Seiya ask the blonde, "Who was it?"

"My dad," was the calm reply.

Was it just him, Yaten wondered, or did Serena sound slightly disgusted when she talked about her father? The silver-haired boy watched her closely.

"Yaten! Quit staring at Serena!" Mina complained. "I'm getting jealous!"

The silver-haired boy flashed his most charming smile at his blonde goddess. "Sorry, Mina," he apologized. "It's just that I can feel her emotions all the way across the room."

Mina suddenly became serious. "How does she feel?"

Yaten decided to be honest. "For a minute, she was fine, but as soon as she saw her caller id…it wasn't good."

"Yaten…you're leaving stuff out. I want details."

Yaten thought for a minute. Would he hurt Mina more by telling her the truth or lying to her? He had to tell the truth. If he lied, he might bar Serena from much-needed support, and she could die. "She's drowning in guilt…and self-loathing."

"For what?"

"That's the mystery."

"Could you find out?"

"I probably could, but isn't Trista planning to try the Time Gate?"

"What if it doesn't work?"

That question made the silver-haired boy pause. "I'll do my best to figure out what's going on," he promised. He already had the beginnings of a theory forming in his mind.

"I hope you figure it out soon."

"Don't worry; I know what I'm doing," Yaten assured her, with more confidence than he felt. The silver-haired boy thought about the blonde's attitude when she was forced to talk about her father; it was a mixture of loathing, disgust, and still a small amount of compassion, forced though it was. He then recalled how Serena's description of why she'd broken up with Darien had appeared to have another thought silently tacked on. He thought about what exactly Darien had been doing, and his theory, fully formed, shone golden and bright in his mind.

'Holy crap,' he thought. 'Is it possible that Serena's dad is cheating on her mom? And does Serena know about it? It seems weird that Serena would just go along with it, even if her dad's bribing her. She isn't like that…her dad must have some sort of hold over her…or am I just letting my imagination run away with me?' The silver-haired boy kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want to tell Mina his theory until he was 80% sure that he was right. Currently, he was only about 40% sure.

Once they were safely back in their apartment, Taiki confronted him. "I know that face," the chestnut-haired boy informed him. "You have a theory."

"Oh, no…Yaten has a theory? This isn't good," Seiya groaned.

Yaten glared at his raven-haired friend. "Shut it, Seiya," he snapped. "This one is actually logical."

"What's your thought?" Taiki inquired.

"I'm thinking that Serena caught her dad cheating on her mom, and he's bribing her to keep quiet about it."

"Serena isn't like that!" Seiya snapped.

"I never said she was. That's what I'm missing. We all know that Serena wouldn't keep that sort of thing quiet unless she had a good reason. Besides, she hates herself for keeping this secret; I could feel her self-loathing from across the room. I'm thinking that her dad has some sort of hold over her. But I don't know what."

"That's a good theory, Yaten, but do we have any evidence?" Taiki asked.

"No…except for the fact that she seems to get really tense about her dad, and there's clearly something going on."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"Yes…bunnies." Yaten burst out laughing.

"Excuse me?"

"Evil bunnies," Yaten gasped through his guffaws.

Seiya lightly smacked him upside the head, and went to his room. Taiki sighed in exasperation, and went to_ his_ room. Yaten continued to laugh. 'I swear,' Seiya thought, "Any time that idiot say something intelligent, he always makes a stupid joke!'


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Time Gate

**Chapter Thirteen: The Time Gate**

That night, Pluto entered the Time Gate, searching the past. She was determined to find out what was tormenting her Princess so much. She'd seen the tortured look in the girl's eyes for too long; if she could find the reason for her pain, she could help her find peace. The time soldier went through the past month, and everything seemed normal. She looked through the week before last, and although she noticed that Serena's father seemed to be hiding something, Serena seemed fine. She moved to that current week, and searched. She watched that week's events, and Serena seemed tormented. Finally, she moved to last week, and that was when she knew she had it right.

The first two days were all right, but then, Serena was sent to her father's office to deliver something he'd left at home. Pluto watched her enter the building with a sense of foreboding; something was telling her that Serena should _not_ enter that office. She didn't know why she had a bad feeling; she just did. Serena opened the door…and Pluto felt her jaw practically bang against the floor. Her only coherent thought as she watched the scene in front of her was 'WHAT THE FUCK?'. Serena was clearly just as shocked; the blonde didn't move or speak for several moments.

Pluto somehow managed to recover herself, and thought frantically, 'Oh, gods…Serena, look away!'. She had to protect the blonde from this; it was horrible. The fact that her father was doing something like this…that had to hurt. Pluto's heart ached for Serena. She watched as Serena finally regained her ability to think straight and speak.

"Dad…how could you?" the blonde asked softly. It was quiet, but it carried.

Ken Tsukino got off of his secretary, and saw his daughter standing there. He blanched, and he gestured at his secretary to leave. "Serena…" he began, but Serena had turned on her heel and was walking briskly away, digging in her purse for her cell phone. Pluto felt a sense of foreboding again as she watched him follow her. This had to be where all of this had begun…it had to be. The time soldier watched with a sense of horrified fascination. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't.

"Serena!" her father called.

Pluto watched the blonde turn to face her father, and noticed with an ache in her heart that the girl was trembling from the power of the emotions she had to be feeling. The time soldier saw the tears the blonde forced back as she forced herself to look her father dead in the eye.

"Serena," the man begged, lowering his eyes in shame. "Let me explain."

Pluto felt disgusted. She knew that Serena knew there was nothing to explain. Why was he even bothering when he knew that she'd seen it all? She watched.

"What is there to explain?" the blonde asked icily. "It's hard to misinterpret anything that resembles what I saw back there." She gestured back the way they'd come. Pluto didn't blame her for being ticked; she herself was angry, and it wasn't even her father that was the lying scum-bucket!

The man replied, "You're right…I keep forgetting you're not a little girl anymore."

Oh, gods! Pluto felt even more disgusted. Was this sleaze going to use every old trick in the book? She was glad that Serena knew better than to fall for this crap.

"What, you're trying to make me forget the problem we face by getting all sentimental? Stop. It won't work. Do you have any idea what this would do to Mom, _your wife_, if she heard about this? God, I should tell her right this minute!"

Pluto was feeling proud of her Princess for knowing the right thing to do, but then she remembered her Princess' current state. What had happened?

"No! No, don't do that. I'll pay you. How much do you want?" Mr. Tsukino was sweating.

Pluto felt sick. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! She watched the scene with growing horror.

Serena's eyes narrowed, and she hissed, "You're despicable!" She pulled out her cell phone. "I'm telling Mom."

Pluto had known that Serena wouldn't take that bait; but something was still missing. She continued to watch.

As Serena pulled out her phone, her father grabbed her arm. "Do you want to be responsible for tearing the family apart?" he asked.

Pluto swore, and cut loose with every curse she knew. This was where Serena had been beaten, she knew. If there was one thing that would convince her to keep that quiet it was the threat to her family. She knew that her Princess could not bear disharmony and discontentment. Telling her mother about this would result in both. Pluto wanted to smack Mr. Tsukino for manipulating Serena like this. Thanks to this ass, her Princess was practically halfway dead!

Pluto watched as Serena thought about this and hesitated. She wanted to scream at Serena not to listen, but she couldn't interfere.

Mr. Tsukino continued, "Listen to me, Serena. You think you're doing the right thing, but you're not. I can guarantee you that if you tell your mother, you _will_ be tearing the family apart. Do you want that burden resting on your shoulders?"

Pluto was feeling murderous now. She could see Serena wavering, and she knew that the battle was almost lost. She watched as Serena shook her head. It was clear that the blonde was shocked. Clearly, the girl felt lost and confused. She honestly had no idea how to react.

"Serena, trust me on this," Mr. Tsukino pleaded. "If you tell your mother, the family will fall apart. You wouldn't be able to live with yourself. I don't want you to bear that kind of guilt. I only want what's best for you. You know that, right?"

Pluto could tell that Serena didn't exactly agree, but she also knew that the blonde was so shocked that she was almost uncomprehending. She watched as the blonde numbly nodded again. It was obvious that the blonde wanted to say something, but she couldn't arrange her thoughts into words. The time soldier was getting extremely angry with the father of her Princess. It was killing her to watch this. She watched, pained, as Serena was tricked into agreeing to remain silent, and her father sealed her in with the offer of a pink chiffon dress.

The time soldier walked away, feeling homicidal. It burned her to know that the man who had contributed chromosomes to create someone like Serena was such a low-life. It was even worse that he was taking advantage of that fact to suit his own ends. What really hurt, though, was seeing the horrified look on the blonde's face as she realized how trapped she was. Pluto understood why Serena had not gone to any of them for advice; she knew that Serena would feel guilty for breaking a promise, no matter how wrong it was. That was how she was. The worst part was that even with this new knowledge, none of them could really use it to save her. The blonde was stubborn; she would never tell them on her own.

Trista walked back into the house in which she dwelled with Amara, Michelle, and Hotaru. She felt discouraged and sick to her stomach. She also wanted to go to the Tsukino residence right now and murder Mr. Tsukino. Amara saw her face, and she became concerned.

"Did it work?" the sandy blonde asked.

"Yes," Trista replied. It was all she could do not to answer through clenched teeth.

"Is it bad?"

"Define 'bad'."

"Is our Princess in deep trouble, as in cutting or someone hurt her?"

"She isn't into self-harm…yet, anyway. No one has done anything to her physically, but emotionally and mentally…it's all I can do not to go to the Tsukino residence right away and wring Ken Tsukino's neck."

Amara's eyes widened. "What did he do?"

"He's cheating on her mother. And he has convinced Serena that if she reveals his deceit, she will destroy the family."

"That isn't right! _He's_ the one who's destroying the family! He's _cheating_ on his wife!"Amara was ticked. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she calmed. "How did Kitten find out?"

"She found him on his desk…with his mistress."

Amara's eyes darkened. She was angry now. Not only had Serena's father manipulated her, he had also stripped away whatever was left of her innocence! "Oh, gods…" she whispered.

"I have a feeling that he's forcing her to cover for him as well," Trista thought aloud.

"How do we stop this?"Michelle asked, coming in from the kitchen. She'd heard everything.

"There isn't much we _can_ do," Trista worried. "Serena can be incredibly stubborn, and considering how hard she's worked to keep this secret, it would be more difficult to get it out of her than it would be to battle Chaos again."

"Maybe if we dropped some subtle hints, she might realize on her own that she wouldn't be the one who's destroying her family," Michelle mused.

"But that could take a long time, and we don't have a lot of that. Our Princess practically has one foot in the shadow of Death already," Hotaru stated from the stairs. She too, had heard everything.

The other three paled, knowing that Hotaru wouldn't say such a thing lightly. After all, she was the Soldier of Death and Rebirth. She knew about this stuff. If she said Serena was practically half-gone, Serena was practically half-gone. There was no arguing the issue. They needed a plan; they had to save Serena from her most unlikely foe; herself. If they didn't act fast, Serena would die. If Serena died, Selene would have all their heads.

"What are we to do?"Michelle worried.

"Seiya has a calming effect on her," Hotaru observed. "His very presence helps to at least ease the pain she feels. He could be the key."

"We have to rely on _that_ idiot?" Amara groaned.

"I do not relish the idea, either, Amara, but right now, it's the only idea we have," Trista said softly.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Open Wound

**Chapter Fourteen: The Open Wound**

Serena stepped out of the shower again, exhaustion clouding her vision like a misty haze. She'd been crying again; it had become an inevitable part of life now. Get in the shower, cry until all of the hot water was gone, go through the day like everything was fine, and then repeat. That was what her life had become. She had Seiya, but he couldn't know about her shame. He would hate her. He would hate what she'd become. She knew Luna suspected something, but Luna would never know what was going on. After all; people rarely saw beyond the mask. Nobody noticed; or nobody cared enough _to _notice. That was certainly the case with her father. She'd never believed she was truly capable of hate, but lately, she had to wonder.

The blonde examined her legs, and sighed. She needed to shave them again. She grabbed her razor and began to take care of it. She grew careless, and the sharp steel blades cut into her skin, drawing blood. She stopped and stared at the redness, morbidly fascinated. It spread slowly across the creamy whiteness of her skin, like a rose was blooming there. It was no flower; however. Blood meant death. Flowers meant life. She knew she was dying. She'd felt herself fading away little by little as the days passed her by. It was obvious she was dying; she was wounded, bleeding straight from the heart. No one could see the wound, but it bled…and bled. It would continue to bleed until she breathed her last breath.

The girl gasped, and flung the razor away from her. She had to stop thinking these things; she couldn't do that. She couldn't just give up. Seiya was with her now; she had to think clearly. He couldn't hate her; surely he'd understand what she was feeling. He could save her from this. She couldn't just lie down and let Death take her. If she did that, she would hurt Seiya. She couldn't do that…Seiya was too precious to hurt, too precious to wound. She had to control herself; if she didn't, Seiya would be hurt. And she couldn't stand that.

Serena cleansed the blood from her leg, and continued to take care of this hygienic ritual. She was careful; she didn't want to cut herself again and entertain thoughts of suicide. It had crossed her mind, certainly; more than once. But she always fought the thoughts and urges back. All she needed to do was picture the pain in Seiya's eyes that fateful day on the rooftop when she hadn't answered him. That pain would be a mere sting compared to the pain she would inflict on him if she killed herself. She wouldn't do that to him; it was selfish and cruel.

The blonde ignored the pain of the still-bleeding wound in her heart, and dressed for bed. She walked into her room and lay down. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw the blood again, spreading across her skin like some odd flower harbinger of death. She couldn't put it from her mind, no matter how she tried. Frightened, she picked up the phone and started to dial. Mid-number, she stopped and hung up. She couldn't bring herself to tell anyone about this. She frowned…was she truly frightened? No…she didn't really feel much of anything. It was as though she had ceased to feel. Had she even felt the pain of the blade cutting into her skin? Yes; she'd felt that much. But inside, she was empty.

The girl got out of bed and picked up a paperclip, then disappeared into the bathroom. Once in, she closed the door behind her and locked it. She pulled at the end of the paperclip, freeing the sharp end. Thoughtfully, she drew it across her arm. It left a scratch. It hurt, but it helped her feel something. She'd always been told that suicide was a cry for help. What was this, then? Was it a whimper? A peep? Some small, distressed sound that would soon turn to a cry? She continued to move the paperclip across her arm, drawing tiny lines of blood.

Seiya's eyes, filled with pain, entered her mind. She dropped the paperclip. What was she doing? What would Seiya do if he were to see her doing this? What would he say? She thought for a moment, and, with a pang of conscience, she cleaned the blood off her arm and washed the scratches. She was being stupid and selfish. She wasn't going to kill herself, but was slicing herself to ribbons any better? Would it hurt Seiya any less if he were to find out? Was inflicting harm on herself going to help anything? No…it wouldn't, her mind told her. But her heart, her numb, dead heart didn't care. All it wanted was to feel again. It didn't care what it felt, as long as it could feel. No matter if it hurt.

The blonde threw the paperclip away and buried it beneath some other trash. She was careful to cover her arm in case Luna were to notice the livid, angry red scratches. She lay back down in confusion. Only her mind was confused, though; her heart was dead, for it had been left to bleed untended for too long. Seiya's presence had made her feel, but it wasn't like she could demand he stay with her every second. Sooner or later, he would go back to Kinmoku, and she would be alone again. Furthermore, if she demanded he stay by her side every second, he would realize what was going on, and then she would tear her family apart. Seiya would want her to speak up, unburden herself, and that would be the end.

The girl examined the scratches on her arm. She now had wounds to match the one on her heart. One could not be seen, but the one on her arm would be a symbol of that. Now to figure out how to hide it…she couldn't let anyone see it. That would be a stupid move. It would hurt them all to see the evidence of what she'd done. No…she needed to hide it. Otherwise, there would be hell to pay, and no one would give her any peace.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Dying Light

**Chapter Fifteen: Dying Light**

Serena woke up the next morning to the sound of her alarm clock going off. Funny; she usually slept through it. She tried to give it a reproachful glare, but couldn't summon up enough anger or irritation for it to be worth the effort. She knew she should feel annoyed at having her rest interrupted, but she didn't. She felt nothing. It was as though she had turned to stone last night. Giving an overly-dramatic sigh, she got out of bed and stretched, being careful not to let Luna see the scratches that covered her arm. The blonde walked downstairs with a feeling of lethargy, not really hungry, but still following her normal routine. She didn't really care how long it took her to get there; it was summer…she had all the time in the world.

Her mom smiled at her, and gave her some breakfast, which Serena lazily devoured at her own, leisurely pace. She had plenty of time; who cared if she ever made it out of the house? The blonde bit into a slice of bacon thoughtfully. She couldn't really feel much of anything besides fatigue and apathy. It was wrong for her to feel so little, but what was she to do about it? She didn't fancy spilling her guts and ruining the family dynamic…if they'd ever had one, that was. The girl continued to eat at a leisurely pace, which confused her mother. After all, until today, she'd eaten fast and furiously. Now, she was lazily munching her food like every minute could be a century. Her father smiled, kissed her on the forehead, and left for work. Serena absently wiped it off once he was gone.

It was about ten in the morning by the time she finished her plate of food. She declined the offer of more, and went to get dressed. She did so only after she drew another paperclip across her other arm. Once she'd done that, she did her hair in its customary style and headed to Rae's. She was late, but she didn't really care much. She knew she should be concerned that Rae would kill her, but she wasn't. She didn't give a rat's ass. The sun shone hot and bright, beating savagely down on her head. She didn't even feel the heat…she just observed with apathy that the sun was shining. The blonde took her sweet time getting to Rae's; another two hours had passed by the time she got there. It was noon.

When Serena walked in, Rae was definitely worked up. "Where _were _you?" the fiery-tempered priestess screeched.

The blonde regarded her friend with absolute calm, not even bothering to pretend to flinch. "I was enjoying a lovely day. Besides, what's your hurry? It's _summer_…it's not like everything's on a schedule!" Her tone was just the right blend of boredom and faint sarcasm to piss Rae off.

"What is _wrong_ with you? You know we were supposed to meet at ten! You're _two hours late_!"

"And?" Serena asked.

Rae let out a jet of language at that point that might have blistered a battleship and would normally have had Serena cowering in a corner behind Amy. Today, though, Serena merely looked at her, her head slightly tilted, as though observing a monkey doing a particularly interesting thing in its cage at the zoo. The fiery-tempered girl looked at her friend with confusion and no small amount of irritation. Looking into the blonde's eyes, she saw no fear or pain, or even an answering flame of rage. It was only sheer calm and a distinct look of apathy.

Rae softened her tone, suddenly concerned. "Serena, are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." The answer was mechanical, with no real emotion to it.

"Are you sure? You seem…" Rae paused, looking for the right word. "You seem tired," she finished.

'You have no idea, Rae,' the blonde thought.

Seiya watched this exchange with worried eyes. He didn't like the look in his Odango's eyes. Those cerulean orbs usually glowed with light, but now, the life and light had gone out almost completely. On top of it, something in her voice was off, almost mechanical sounding. It didn't sound like his Odango at all. Furthermore, Rae's wrath usually terrified her, but now, she didn't seem to care. The raven-haired boy was left with the feeling that a nuclear bomb could go off right next to her, and she wouldn't care. He wrapped his arms around her, and she relaxed into them. He locked eyes with Yaten, who was looking at Serena with a worried expression. He used thought-speak.

_Note: _++ _means telepathy_

+What is it, Yaten?+ Seiya asked.

+You know how I mentioned yesterday that she was practically consumed by guilt and self-loathing? That's gone now.+

+But that's good, isn't it?+

+Not in this case. She isn't feeling those emotions, but the problem is that she doesn't feel anything at all. It's like she's just stopped feeling.+

Seiya looked down at the fragile-looking blonde in his arms. Tenderly, he smoothed her hair from her face, and lightly kissed the top of her head. She had her eyes closed, and she was completely relaxed. He felt a stab of pain as he realized how much her shine had dimmed. She had always glowed brightly, but now, there was barely even a trace of light coming from her. 'Odango, what's happened to you?' he thought sadly. Serena seemed to sense his pain, because she looked up. There was a faint spark of life in her eyes now.

"What is it, Seiya?" she asked. "Something's bothering you; I can tell."

"I'm fine, Odango," he replied quietly. Even so, he couldn't keep some of his pain out of his voice.

"No, you're not."

Seiya gently steered her out of the room. Once they were alone, he replied, "Neither are you. You pretend you're okay, but you're not. You're dying…I can feel it."

Serena lowered her eyes. Seiya had seen through her so quickly! Maybe she could tell him, and he would understand. Maybe he could save her. She tugged at her sleeves, which were riding up, trying to hide the scratches on her arms. She needed to think. She could feel Seiya's eyes on her, and she tried to hurry it up. The problem was that the lethargy which had stolen over her had also slowed her mind. Which was why she didn't have time to react when Seiya caught her arm and peeled back her sleeve. She felt him tense, and she forced herself to look up.

Seiya's blue eyes were wide with shock and no slight amount of horror as he saw the criss-crossed red lines that graced her skin. He took the other arm, and his eyes filled with pain as he realized that the stated of both arms was the same. "Why?" he asked softly.

"I couldn't feel anything…I felt numb." Gods, that sounded lame!

Seiya led her further away. "Odango, what's happened? You can't keep doing this to yourself. You'll die."

"I'm already partially dead," Serena replied bitterly. "It's not like I ever _wanted_ to end up like this!"

"Then tell me what's going on," Seiya pleaded. "Let me help you! You don't have to face this alone!"

The blonde looked into Seiya's eyes. Those sapphire eyes were filled with agony. Because of her. For the first time, she felt a pang of true regret…and it felt worse than the one she'd been dealing with for the past two weeks. She couldn't bring herself to lie anymore. She didn't _want_ to lie anymore. She wanted to stop fighting and rest. Maybe, if she told Seiya, she could stop hurting. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything. She couldn't find words. Finally, she shook her head sadly. She couldn't tell him.

Seiya's eyes darkened to midnight blue, and filled with sadness. "Why can't you tell me?"

"It's too bad, and…I just can't. If I don't tell, I'll be okay. But if I do, I'll die."

"You're dying already. Gods, don't you see that? Your light is dying…please, talk to me. I couldn't stand it if I lost you!"Seiya's voice was so pleading it nearly broke Serena's heart.

The blonde forced herself to walk away, before she broke down and spilled the beans. She couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to look back.

'Seiya, you idiot, go after her!' Seiya's mind shouted at him as he watched Serena walk away. He couldn't get his feet to move. All he could do was watch her walk away, a dying light. He closed his eyes, and the livid scratches that had stained her skin bloomed in his mind. He shook his head, and walked away, trying to get a grip on himself, and searching for a way to save her. He felt guilty; he should have gotten here sooner; maybe things wouldn't be so desperate now if he had.

"Oh, dear…you've really opened a can of worms, haven't you? You weren't able to save your planet; now you can't save the one you love." Seiya whirled around.

A girl who looked a lot like Serena stood there, but she radiated negativity. It wasn't his Odango.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am Guilt."


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Restoring the Light

**Chapter Sixteen: Restoring the Light**

Seiya stared at the Serena look-alike, momentarily confused. After a minute, though, he recalled the name. This was the new enemy the Sol Senshi faced. Great…if he had this right, he was royally screwed. Nevertheless, if he was going to die, he would die fighting. He powered up, and became Sailor Star Fighter. The dark-haired girl regarded the enemy coldly. "So…you're the new bad guy," she said. "Funny…I expected you to be scarier." She would have said more, but crushing waves of guilt washed over her, and memories of the time when Galaxia had destroyed Kinmoku and killed her Princess brought her to her knees.

"Never underestimate your opponent," Guilt chided. "I may resemble Sailor Moon, but I'm nowhere near as stupid as she is."

The slight to her Odango pulled Fighter back into reality, and she flew at Guilt, poised to land a bruising kick. Guilt dodged, and Fighter slammed practically headlong into a tree. 'I'm going to have a concussion later,' she thought dazedly. Even so, she picked herself up, dusted herself off, and went for another go. Guilt dodged her attack again, and Fighter ended up on the ground with the enemy standing over her. Guilt had her backed against a wall, and was moving in for the kill. Fighter swallowed hard…she was about to get killed…

**†****жжжжжжжж****†§**

As Serena walked, she was cursing herself for being so stubborn. She'd hurt Seiya…badly. And now, she was walking away from what was quite possibly salvation. What was wrong with her? She continued to force herself to move forward. Her mind was screaming at her to go back. She stopped as she felt darkness in the area. Something was tugging at her, telling her to go back to Seiya _right now_. She had a feeling that if she didn't head back, something horrible would happen. She hesitated, not sure what to do. The blonde couldn't take it…she ran back. The feeling was too powerful to ignore. When she got there, she found Guilt standing over Fighter…her heart missed a beat.

The blonde powered up, and raced onto the scene, feeling fury burning inside her. No one had any right to hurt Fighter! She was not going to let Guilt do this! Just as Guilt moved in, she planted herself in front of Fighter, taking a protective stance in front of the raven-haired beauty. She glared at the enemy, feeling more alive than she had all week. She would not tolerate this. Guilt halted, disconcerted. The blonde continued to meet her gaze steadily. She wouldn't budge.

"So…you finally gathered up some courage. Tell me, when do you plan to use it for something that matters?" Guilt inquired with a smirk.

"Shove it up your ass," Sailor Moon hissed. Behind her, Fighter's mouth fell open. The raven-haired girl couldn't believe what she'd just heard fall from her blonde goddess' lips.

"You know it's true. You waste all your energy keeping your feelings inside, and now, you have one foot in your grave. You're going against everything you fight for by hiding deceit. You're a hypocrite."

"I have better things to do than listen to this," Sailor Moon snorted. Her words fell flat, though; guilt was crushing her. She felt like an atomic bomb had gone off inside her. It hurt worse than almost anything.

"Your father is with his secretary as we speak, and you have done nothing to stop him. You lie for him and cover his sin. Some champion of love and justice you are!"

Sailor Moon's face was white; pain was visible on every part of her faces. Her knees buckled as her strength waned. Guilt was winning. Fighter couldn't see Serena's face, but she knew that the blonde was weakening. She had to do something…the raven-haired beauty struggled to get to her feet. Guilt was strong enough to make that considerably difficult. The enemy continued to slice into the blonde's heart mercilessly.

"You're a coward; you know what's right, but you do nothing because of fear. You stand by and watch, concealing deceit. You hide in shadow, fearing the dawn; you know what will happen when your sins come to light."

"SHUT…UP…BITCH!" Fighter managed to shout. She hauled herself to her feet, and thrust Sailor Moon behind her. She had no idea what Guilt was on about, but she did know that no matter what was going on, her Odango didn't deserve this. The blonde behind her clutched at her arm, trying to pull her away. Fighter ignored her, continuing to stare Guilt down.

"You would still defend her after what she's done?" Guilt asked. "You would protect this liar, this…hypocrite?"

"I don't give a damn what she's done…it can't be as bad as what you're making it out to be!"

Guilt sighed. "You're as stubborn as she is…clearly it isn't my lucky day today. I'll be in touch." She disappeared.

Fighter turned to face the blonde, and powered down. Sailor Moon did so as well. It was obvious that she was close to tears; Seiya could see her control crumbling. Gently, he guided her to a secluded area close by. He needed to do something…Guilt had clearly done a number on her. "Don't let her get to you," he murmured, his arm around her shoulders. "None of that's true."

"Yes, it is!" the blonde sobbed.

"You're not a hypocrite, and you're not a liar, at least, not without a good reason. I know you wouldn't hide something like that about your dad from your mom."

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Serena wept. "I don't want to, but I can't tell anyone."

Seiya wanted to believe that she was just rambling; Guilt certainly had enough power to cause temporary insanity. But something told him that his blonde goddess was in earnest. Clearly, Guilt's words had the ring of truth in them. He cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. He wanted to help her more than anything; she just wasn't letting him. "Odango, be honest with me. Tell me what's happening." His voice was gentle but firm; it was an order.

Serena felt herself breaking; she just couldn't do this anymore. Her heart couldn't take much more of this. Her mind was telling her to listen. "My dad's cheating on my mom," she managed to choke out. "I-I didn't want to hide it, but I had to. I still need to. I didn't want to lie for him, but I just couldn't bring myself to say anything. I can't destroy my family!" She cried even harder.

Seiya processed the words for a moment. Something irked him. He pulled her into his arms, and asked, "Who told you you'd be destroying the family if you told your mom?"

"My dad."

The dark-haired boy barely managed to bite back a curse. He wanted to scream. Of all the low-down, disgusting tricks, Ken Tsukino had used the worst one of all. He'd used the one trick that could convince Serena to turn her back on everything she stood for and believed in. He'd known that she would take the bait about destroying the family, and in doing so, he'd trapped her in a world of guilt, self-loathing, and agony. Seiya continued to hold her gently, trying to think of a way to save her from this. She was torturing herself over her father's sins, and it was killing her. She had been lost and in over her head, thinking that if she were to tell the truth, she would tear her family apart. Ken Tsukino had chosen to commit adultery; _he _was the one who was destroying the family! The way Serena's father had manipulated her infuriated Seiya.

Softly, he whispered, "You wouldn't be destroying your family, Odango. Your dad's the one who's going to destroy it. He's the one who's doing something wrong here. Not only is he sneaking around behind your mom's back, he's also used you to hide it, and put you through hell in the process."

"But I kept my mouth shut anyway!"

"Considering the way he put it, I don't blame you. If I'd been in your spot, I would've done the same thing."

"No…you're stronger than I am. You would've done what was right." Serena had calmed down; he could feel her relaxing, and he could see a spark of light being restored within her. Seiya held her tightly, fearful of losing her. He had to stop this, ease her pain…he couldn't let this angel die.

"You're stronger than you think," he replied quietly. "You've held on for this long; now you need to find the strength to ask for help."

"I don't know if I can…"

"You've already taken one step by talking to me; do you honestly think anyone will think the less of you if you admit that you need help?"

"I was afraid you guys would hate me if you found out what was going on," the blonde admitted. "I felt like I'd turned my back on everything we stood for."

"You didn't…you just got stuck."

"So…where do we go from here?"

Maker and Healer burst came upon them at that time.

"Where's the bad guy?" Healer asked. "We felt something…"

"It was Guilt," Seiya replied evenly. "She's gone now, though."

"You mean we_ missed a fight_?" Healer yelped.

"Yeah."

Healer noticed that Serena looked like a wreck. "What happened?" she asked.

Seiya looked down at Serena. She looked worried. "Why don't we all power down and get back?" he suggested. "I think Serena has something she needs to talk about." Serena held on to his hand. Clearly, she would need some help. He was willing to do anything, though, if it meant he could restore her light.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Truth Comes Out

**Chapter Seventeen: The Truth Comes Out**

Once they'd filled everyone in on Guilt's latest attack, Seiya knew that they couldn't put it off any longer. Serena would have to tell everyone what was going on. She was terrified of doing it, but he knew that she wanted to speak up. He held her hand under the table, and nodded to her, indicating that she should just jump in. She looked at him imploringly, asking him to speak for her, but he shook his head. She had to do this on her own; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to tell her mother, which would really set her free.

"I've been slightly dishonest, guys; I actually have a secret. I've been kind of afraid to tell, but I guess I should…it's tearing me apart, and I don't really want to end up going insane or something, so I'll try to spit it out…" she took a deep breath. "My dad's cheating on my mom." She searched their faces.

Rae, Mina, Amy, and Lita were shocked. The Outers seemed unsurprised, and Serena guessed why. They'd apparently checked the Time Gate. Yaten's face clearly said; 'I knew it!' Taiki was kind of like, 'Yaten was right…that's new.' It turned into; 'Yikes, this is a problem.' No one hated her. Yet.

"I found out about it a couple weeks ago, when my mom sent me to bring him his briefcase. He'd left it. When I got there, I found him…uh, he-he…how do I say this?"

"We get it," Rae said, taking pity on the blonde.

"He was _doing that_ with his secretary. On his desk."

Once again, the Outers were unsurprised. The Inners were sympathetic, and a little grossed out. Yaten was turning red; clearly he hadn't thought of that little bit of info. Seiya squeezed her hand a little more, giving her strength to continue. Taiki was stoic as usually, but any fool could tell that he felt bad that she'd seen something like that.

"The point is, I was like, 'Seriously, Dad?' Needless to say, he was embarrassed and freaked out. I was all for telling my mom about it, but he caught up with me. First, he offered to pay me to keep my mouth shut. I was like, 'Dude, you're kidding me. No way.' Then, he tried to make me forget about it by going all sentimental. I told him to knock it off, and started to call Mom. He grabbed my arm, and…and…"

"What did he do, Serena?"Lita asked.

"He asked me if I wanted to be responsible for destroying the family."

Yaten was ticked now; they all were. Serena could feel Seiya's temper rising.

"I was so shocked that I hesitated, and somehow, I got trapped into promising to keep my mouth shut. I thought I'd be okay, but I wasn't. Then, when he came home late, Mom got suspicious, and he forced me to lie to her." Serena closed her mouth, unable to go on.

"What a bastard!" Mina said. "No wonder you've been a wreck."

"I wondered if that was it," Yaten mused. "I didn't know that he'd go and mess with your head like that, though. Serena, you need to tell your mom."

"Are you sure I can't just…I don't know…videotape what my dad does with his secretary and anonymously send it?"

"Do you really want to see something like that again?"Amy asked.

Serena thought for a minute. "Nope," she finally replied.

"There's a simple way to fix this," Amara stated calmly. "I'm going to bash his skull in."

"Do it," Yaten coughed. Taiki gave him an exasperated look. Seiya looked to Serena, who was thinking.

"That's very tempting," she finally managed to say. "But I don't really want you to go to jail, Amara."

"I could roast his penis until it falls off," Rae offered. All three Starlights cringed, and moved to protect their manhood.

"Again, no, even though that's tempting. I don't think the guys feel too comfortable with that, though. I think I might just tell my mom, and pray that it doesn't end too badly. It will end badly, that much I know…I just hope it doesn't end with someone ending up in the hospital or getting bashed in the head with a frying pan…"

Everyone was staring at her.

"Once, there was a really big fight, and it ended with Mom hitting Dad on the head with a frying pan, and he ended up in the hospital with a concussion," the blonde explained.

"Wow…" Yaten murmured.

"I hope that doesn't happen when you and Seiya fight," Amy worried.

"No…she prefers to blow raspberries," Seiya interjected helpfully. Serena stuck her tongue out.

"Serena, what do you think your dad will do once he finds out that you spoke up?" Luna asked.

They all froze. No one had thought of that.

"I'll handle it…besides; Mom won't let him hurt me, if he tries. He might just cuss me out like he did on New Year's last year, when he got wasted on vodka."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Mina asked. The thought that Serena could get hurt worried her.

"Oh, yeah…besides, it'll be fun to watch Mom throw him out. And if he goes after me, I'll just use a little kid trick and hide behind her."

"Be careful," Amara warned.

"I will…I have some small sense of self-preservation."

That got a few chuckles from everyone in the room. Serena quietly excused herself, and went to find her mother.

Her mom was at home, and her dad was still at work. Serena rapped her fist lightly on the wall to get her attention. Ilene Tsukino turned, and smiled at her daughter. "Hello, honey," she said. "You seem to be happier. You seemed down this morning."

"Yeah…my friends helped pull me out of it. Listen, Mom…I have something I have to tell you."

"What is it, sweetie?" Mrs. Tsukino noticed the way her daughter seemed to become sad and tentative. She walked over and guided her to the living room, then sat her down. "You can tell me anything."

"Promise me you'll listen, even if it sounds bad."

"Are you pregnant?"

"No. I'm still a virgin, I'm not into drinking and drugs, and I don't have an STD."

"Okay…I don't see what can be too bad, then."

"It's about Dad."

"What about him?"

"He's…he's been…when I brought him his briefcase that one time, I found him with his secretary."

Not understanding, Mrs. Tsukino said, "That's where she usually is. She _is_ his secretary."

"He was_ with_ her with her. On his desk."

Ilene's eyes narrowed. Serena gulped, and made to move away. "I'm not mad at you, Serena," Ilene said quickly, forcing herself to soften. "It's just that I thought your father and I had taken care of this…how long has he been doing this?"

"I don't know…I only found out a few weeks ago…"

"I know you wouldn't have kept this from me willingly…what did he say to you?"

"When I was starting to call you, he asked me if I wanted to be responsible for tearing the family apart." Serena felt wretched, but then she processed what her mom had said. "Wait…he's done this before?"

"Yes…I caught him at it a few years ago, and I was ready to leave him. But he promised it wouldn't happen again, and I didn't want to put you and Sammy through a divorce, so we worked it out. I didn't trust him for a long time after that, but he seemed to be behaving, so I gave him a longer leash. I guess he's fallen off the wagon again. He told you that it would be _your_ fault we got a divorce if you told me?"

"Yeah…"

"Damn it! Excuse my French, Serena. I knew he was a sneak, but I never thought he'd pull this crap…was he with his secretary that night when he came home late? No, don't answer that…I know he was, and he used you as his alibi. And you were afraid to tell me…" her mother fretted.

"I'm okay, Mom, really," Serena said, taking her mother's arm. Her sleeve slid up, revealing the scratches. Her mom froze when she saw them.

"What did you do, Serena?" she asked softly.

"I went a little crazy with a paperclip," she answered honestly.

"When?"

"Last night. I won't do it again."

"Promise me."

"I swear."

"All right…we'll discuss this later. Right now, I need to talk to your father…but we _will_ have a talk about this."

"Okay, Mom."

Ilene gave her daughter another hug, and then left to go speak to her husband. Serena almost felt bad for her dad. Ilene Tsukino in a temper was a force to be reckoned with. She knew that her mom would quite possibly bitch-slap her dad all the way to England and back. It was a funny thought…the blonde giggled, and felt the wound in her heart begin to close.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Ken's Wrath

**Chapter Eighteen: Ken's Wrath**

Serena wisely stayed in her room when she heard her father and mother come home. Both were screaming at the top of their lungs, and she knew her father would not be pleased with her. She stayed by the door so she could block it in case her dad decided to teach her a lesson. She knew that her mom would try to protect her, but there was really no telling what could happen. The blonde listened to the sounds of her parents shouting, and wondered; was it worth it? Had telling the truth been worth all this? She felt a pang. She knew she'd done the right thing, but she also knew that a divorce was just around the corner. She knew it wasn't her fault, but it still hurt her that she'd been the one who had to tell her mother. Why couldn't her father have been like John Proctor in _The Crucible_ and confessed to his sin? Why did he have to make it necessary for _her_ to do it?

"This isn't your fault, Serena," Luna told her softly. "Your father made his choice; you did the right thing."

"I know…I just wish it didn't hurt so much."

"This will pass…just hang in there. You've made it this far; you'll be all right."

"…MANIPULATED OUR DAUGHTER! KEN, HOW COULD YOU? YOU PUT HER THROUGH HELL, DAMN YOU!" Ilene's voice, angry and accusing, drifted up the stairs. Serena cringed, and Luna curled up beside her, trying to comfort her, and remind her that no one was blaming her. The blonde absently stroked her behind the ears, trying to tune out the sounds of her parents' rage at one another…and her.

Someone knocked. "Serena?" Sammy's voice came through. She opened the door. Her brother came in, looking scared. She closed the door behind them, and asked, "What is it, Sammy?" She knew already, but she asked anyway.

"Mom and Dad are really mad at each other…are they gonna get a divorce?"

Yes, she thought. They are. In reality, she said softly, "I don't know, Sammy. I just don't know…all we can do is hope it passes."

"What did Dad do?"

Serena paused. How could she tell an eleven-year old kid that his father was a cheating asshole? Finally, she answered, "I'm not really sure how all this began…it's been ongoing for a while now. There's no telling how it started."

Sammy looked at her searchingly. "You're scared, too, aren't you?" he asked.

"I am…I think even Mom and Dad are, in a way."

"…DO I CARE? YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN AN AGGRAVATING WOMAN! IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE TO COME HOME TO YOU EVERY NIGHT…" Ken's voice rose now, and Sammy clung to his sister.

She held onto him, and both grimaced as they heard a crash. Ilene's voice rose again, and then Ken's. Another crash was heard, and then there was more shouting. Luna watched Serena worriedly. They'd just now managed to convince her that it wasn't her fault, but she had to be blaming herself now. The shouting grew louder, and two more crashes could be heard. The shouting grew even louder, and then three consecutive crashes sounded. After that, all was silent. Serena's heart went cold. After instructing Sammy to stay put, and locking the door from the inside, she crept downstairs, fearing for her mother. Her mom was nowhere downstairs, and Serena knew she hadn't come upstairs. She'd left. A heavy hand gripped her shoulders and spun her around. Serena looked into the eyes of her irate father.

"I hope you're happy," he whispered savagely. "How does it feel to know that all this is because of you?"

"_I'm_ not the one who was fucking his secretary on his desk," Serena snapped. "Why don't you go back and do that again, since it's what you do best?"

Ken smacked her, and the force of the blow sent her spinning to the other side of the room, where she finally fell, her head striking the wall. "Don't get smart-ass with me, girl! I am your father, and you will show me some respect!"

"You lost all my respect a long time ago. I owe you nothing." Serena pulled herself to her feet, and started to brush past him.

Mr. Tsukino smacked her again, splitting her lip. She kicked him in the nuts. She wasn't going to just let him smack her around. Ken dropped; she'd hit him perfectly. She ran for the door, and he grabbed her arm. She twisted and struggled, trying to get free, but he was stronger than she was. He hauled her into the next room. "You will learn to respect me," he growled. "I will see to it that your mother does not leave, and then I'll teach you some manners."

"Hi, Mom," Serena said.

Ken turned to face his very angry wife. "Shit," he muttered.

"It's over, Ken," Ilene hissed. "I gave you another chance, but you still did it again. This time, though, you've gone too far. First, you manipulate our daughter into keeping your secret, and then, when she does the right thing, you smack her around. Get out…now. If you don't, I _will_ call the police."

Ken swore, and stomped upstairs to get his things together. Ilene knelt beside her daughter, and gently wiped the blood off of her face. "Poor baby," she said softly. "He won't hurt you again."

"I know," Serena said quietly. She wondered vaguely how Luna was going to react when she saw what her dad had done to her. She winced as her mother gently cleaned the cut on her lip, both from the pain, and the thought of what Amara was going to do to her dad when she saw this. She then factored Seiya into the equation, and instantly felt a small spot of pity for her dad. Seiya when he was angry was bad; Amara in a temper was bad, but both of them together, when they were royally pissed…yikes. She thought that she should probably tell her dad to go someplace like Rio de Janeiro or Scandinavia, or one of those tiny countries that most people had trouble remembering existed, but she decided not to. She didn't want another bruise.

"How bad does your lip hurt?" Ilene asked gently.

Serena thought for a minute, listening to her body's signals. "A lot," she answered finally.

Ilene checked the wound, and grimaced. "It looks like you'll need stitches, honey," she informed her daughter.

The blonde groaned. "But that _hurts_," she whined.

"I know, but I can't stop the bleeding."

"But we can't leave Dad alone here!"

"I'm leaving now," snapped Mr. Tsukino from the stairs. He held his suitcases, and he stalked out to the car. Mother and daughter watched as he drove away. Ilene took her daughter to the hospital, and Serena grimaced as she entered the ER. She knew that this wasn't going to be pleasant, and that Seiya and Amara were _not_ going to be happy.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: The Aftermath

**Chapter Nineteen: The Aftermath**

Serena entered Rae's temple almost timidly, making sure that she kept her split lip hidden from view. She was afraid of what would happen if…when…Seiya and Amara saw the aftermath of her confessing the truth. She also worried about the nasty-looking bruise on her forehead; miraculously, she'd escaped a concussion. She'd found that if she kept the injured side of her face slightly turned away, natural shadows would conceal her injuries.

The blonde grimaced as pain shot from her lip. She knew that stitches had been necessary, but they hurt. The doctor had offered her pain meds, but she had refused, hearing that they would make her loopy. She had no desire to be loopy; there was no telling what could happen. She had just pulled herself out of a depressed stupor; she didn't want to go into another, drug-induced one. She lightly touched her lip, trying to control the pain, and almost had a heart attack when she heard Amara call quietly, "Kitten?" from the side.

"Hey, Amara!" she chirped, wincing as the action caused her lip to sting.

There was amusement in the other woman's voice as she observed, "You're happy today."

"Of course I am! My jerkface dad is gone, my mom threw him out, and no one has blamed me for it! Oww…" the blonde mentally cursed as the faint indication that she was in pain escaped. Oh, well…maybe Amara hadn't heard it…she kept the side of her face in the shadows as she faced her temperamental, overprotective friend. Unfortunately, Amara apparently _did_ hear, because Serena could see her tense.

"Are you all right?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Great. Splendid. Awesome…"

By now, the others, who had been casual listeners, looked up. They could tell that something was going on.

"Really, I feel like a hundred bucks." Unfortunately, my lip _hurts_, she thought. She rubbed it lightly. Ouch…she shouldn't have done that.

"Serena, you're rubbing at your lip. What happened?" Amy asked.

Serena didn't answer; she knew that they knew her well enough to see through any lie she might try to tell. She just stood quietly, waiting for someone to change the subject. No one did, though. The silence made her antsy, and she squirmed a little bit. She could see a spark of concern in Seiya's eyes. Finally, she managed, "I'm just relieved that the whole mess is over." That was the partial truth, anyway…she wanted someone to change the topic.

"What happened when your dad found out that you told on him?" Yaten asked suspiciously.

"He and mom yelled and screamed at each other, I stayed in my room, and he left." She still kept to the truth, but omitted important details. Her lip was really aching now from all the talking she was having to do…she wanted the spotlight off of her. "Mom kicked him out. Apparently, it happened before."

"You're leaving out details, Serena," Mina informed her. "There's more to what happened than that. Luna said you went downstairs after a bunch of crashing and then sudden silence. She also said you haven't really let anyone get a good look at your face. Did something happen?"

"My dad was kind of ticked at me, but who cares? He's gone now."

Amy's eyebrows were shooting further and further up her head. She could tell that Serena was evading answering the question. Taiki seemed to sense it, too. 'Geez, why do they have to be so freaking smart?' the blonde wondered. Seiya was looking at her worriedly. Finally, he stood up and walked over to her. Serena lowered her head, trying not to let him see the aftermath of her father's wrath. He cupped her chin in one hand, and forced her to look at him. 'Maybe he won't notice,' she thought. Seiya's eyes narrowed as he studied her bruised forehead and cheek, then her split lip. Finally, he released her.

In a strangely calm, level tone, he declared, "I'm going to kill that bastard."

Serena smacked herself, and her eyes watered as her hand struck her lip. "Oooww," she whimpered.

"Careful, Odango," Seiya said quietly. "I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"What happened?" Amara asked. Her eyes flicked between Seiya and her Princess, uncertain as to what was going on.

Seiya answered simply, "Look at her."

Amara walked over, and Serena lowered her head and backed up. A hand lightly touched her shoulder. "Let me see," the sky soldier ordered softly, gently. Serena let out a resigned sigh and let Amara look. She couldn't keep from grimacing in pain as her lip stung, and as she saw Amara's eyes narrow to slits. "How bad does it hurt?" Amara asked finally.

"Worse than when I got it," Serena admitted. "I honestly think that stitches were overkill."

"_Stitches_?" Yaten yelped. "Good grief! What did your dad do?"

"Smacked me. Really hard. My mom saved me, though. She was _very_ unhappy with him."

"A smack shouldn't split your lip, though, Kitten."

"It does if you go spinning across the room and slam into a wall," Serena replied with a grin.

"Why on Earth are you _smiling_ about that?" Trista asked.

"Because it's funny."

"How, in the name of all the stars, planets, and suns in the galaxy, is getting smacked funny?" Seiya burst out.

"Because I gave him a good kick in the nuts while he was doing it."

Rae stated, "You're kidding. You managed to kick him _there_?"

"Yup."

"You're lucky you didn't get killed!"

"Nah…Dad's an ass, but he wouldn't have killed me. He might've put me in a coma, but he wouldn't have killed me."

Amara sighed in exasperation, unsure of what to do with her Princess. "You're giddy," she sighed. "Relief's scrambled your brain."

"Either that, or you take things too seriously," Serena retorted, smiling impishly.

"_Someone_ has to, since you're standing around making jokes!"

Seiya watched this exchange with bemusement. It was good to see his Odango smiling again, but it worried him that the fact that she'd gotten smacked was cause for amusement for her. He still wanted to kill Ken Tsukino, but he knew that Serena wouldn't want that. He'd just now gotten her smiles back; he wouldn't lose them again.

"I'm still going to kill him," Amara informed Serena.

"No! You can't go off and kill my father and leave poor Michelle, Trista, and Hotaru to fend for themselves while you rot in a prison somewhere!"

"That depends on if I get caught," Amara replied with a grin. She was teasing, of course.

"You'd get caught," Trista informed her seriously, with only the faintest mischievous glimmer in her eyes to show she was joking.

Amara grinned. This was fun.

"So, everything's good again. We can all relax now," Mina said happily.

"Not quite," Michelle pointed out. "We still have to beat Guilt."

"Shoot! I knew I was forgetting to tell you guys something!" Serena yelped, and made to smack herself again, but Taiki stopped her.

"Do you really want to abuse your lip again?" he asked teasingly.

Serena grinned at him, and lowered her arm. "I figured out where Guilt came from,' she chirped.

"Where?"

"She's a physical manifestation of my own guilt and self-loathing, formed by the Silver Crystal," the blonde informed them. "I didn't mean for that to happen, but it did…oops. And, oh, gods, did I just say something smart?"

"Yes, you did," Yaten told her.

"Oh, no…Amy and Taiki are a bad influence on me!"

"Hey!" the two geniuses in question grumbled.

"Sorry, guys," Serena replied apologetically. She was enjoying the aftermath of her situation; making bad jokes and coming clean was a lot better than suffering in silence.


	21. Chapter Twenty: Guilt Meets Her Waterloo

**Chapter Twenty: Guilt Meets Her Waterloo**

Serena knew that she was being incredibly stupid, but she just wanted to get this whole mess over with and go one with her life. She, Serenity, Princess of the White Moon, was hunting an enemy. By herself. In the middle of the night. She would be lucky if her friends didn't kill her when they figured out what was going on in her head. They would not like the fact that she was possibly endangering her life. The thing was, she doubted Guilt would kill her. After all, if she died, Guilt would probably cease to exist. 'But I'm doing this to help my existence,' she argued. 'I'm trying to improve my life.'

"Looking for me?" Guilt asked from behind her.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I was."

"Clearly, I underestimated the bond you had with your friends. I figured you'd be dead by now."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh, well…it can't be helped. It seems that you and I have almost become separate beings entirely…" Guilt's eyes widened. "If that is so…I can finish what you yourself started." The enemy lunged, and Serena cursed herself for her stupidity. She should have seen this coming, but no; she'd walked right into it. The blonde dodged, and Guilt barely missed her. Sighing, the girl powered up, knowing what was necessary.

'Goddess Selene, get me through this in one piece, and I will do my homework for a whole year,' she prayed, calling on the powers of the Silver Crystal. As she raised it, she felt Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn arrive. She was going to be in deep shit when this was over, she realized. She could sense Uranus' irritation with her already. 'I hope this works,' she thought. 'If it doesn't, I'll die, and Saturn will bring me back to life so they can kill me again!' She thrust her power and strength into the glowing Crystal, and silently whispered, "Child of regrets, I who made thee, child of weakness, I entreat…leave this world, and join with me now, for you are a part of me, and I a part of you. We cannot be forever separate. Gods of light, forgive me my error. Gods of light, I entreat; grant me aid to correct this error. Grant me the strength to face my demons." The light brightened.

Through squinched eyelids, she could see the power of the Crystal doing its work; Guilt was finally weakening, and taking her rightful place. That place was in her own heart, in the place of sins forgiven and long past. The blonde strained, feeling herself weakening. She had to see this through; the world, and her sanity, depended on it. She poured the light of her soul into the Crystal, and vaguely heard Pluto let out a stream of unholy curses.

_Note: _++_ still mean thought-speak._

+Idiot!+ Uranus scolded her. +Let us help you, for crying out loud!+

Smiling, the blonde let the Outers shoulder the burden, and felt them with her, helping her see this to the end. +Thank you…+ she said softly.

+No problem…next time you decide to go hunting bad guys, call us before you do something stupid!+

+Yes, ma'am!+

The Inners arrived next; Serena could tell because of Rae's colorful burst of language. Nevertheless, she felt their power join that of the Outers seconds later. She continued to focus, and Guilt continued to be siphoned back into the depths of her heart. Guilt was being incredibly stubborn; she was being truly tested with this part of her soul. She focused even harder, and thrust even more power into the Crystal. She could feel her knees beneath her, threatening to give out…a strong arm wrapped around her waist. Fighter…her love was with her. She could do this.

Guilt was almost completely joined with her now; Serena could feel the effects; Guilt was rising in her guts, threatening to upset her stomach badly. She forced herself to ignore her discomfort and focused her mind on the task at hand. The power of her own guilt was almost overwhelming, but with Fighter at her side, she was able to withstand it. She could stand anything, as long as that raven-haired beauty remained at her side.

With one last, desperate struggle, Guilt took her place in the depths of the blonde's heart, and the Crystal finished its work. It took its rightful place with its mistress, and its light finally disappeared. Serena swayed, and Fighter scooped her up into her arms. The blonde couldn't stifle a yawn. She was so tired…she smiled dreamily up at her love. It didn't matter that the dark-haired girl was giving her a reproachful look or that Rae was screaming at her for her idiocy. Actually, Rae's anger was funny. Serena giggled giddily, feeling extremely light-headed.

'Oh, dear…" Pluto sighed in the background.

Vaguely, the blonde heard Fighter ask, "What is it?"

"She'll survive using the Silver Crystal, but she's tired…and this type of fatigue hits her like a pint of alcohol. Before she passes out, she will talk, and she _will_ say some things that will successfully alienate everyone here."

"He-he…pretty lights," the blonde giggled, smiling up at the stars.

"See?" Pluto asked.

"Fighter?" Serena called groggily.

"Yes, Odango?"

"I love you…I love you more than Edward Cullen, Antonio Banderas, and Orlando Bloom."

"Uh…I love you, too."

"Mmm, I like this…it feels as good as that time when the guys in this one show choir did a version of 'Macho Man'…that was _goooooddd_…"

"Oh, gods…' Healer groaned.

"Can you use Valium to blow something up, Mercury?" Serena asked, her speech slurred.

"Uh, no…" was the answer.

"I wonder what would happen if we knocked Melvin out and stuffed him in a box of cocaine, then sent him to Jamaica…"

"Someone knock her out…please…" Mars moaned.

"No, don't, Uranus. This is funny," Venus giggled.

"He-he…Seiya would be so hot if he played Damon Salvatore…Damon is way better for Elena than Stefan…"

"Pluto, how long will it take for her to get to sleep?" Fighter asked.

"About two hours…" was the weary reply.

"Oh, no…" Maker groaned.

Serena giggled, snuggled into Fighter's arms, and contentedly babbled until she finally dozed off.


	22. Epilogue: Forever

**Epilogue: Forever**

**AN: ** Don't worry, dear readers…this story may be ending, but I'm already working on another one!

Serena stared at Seiya in horror, unable to believe what she was hearing. She couldn't be hearing this; it was too dreadful, too horrible to contemplate. She looked to Yaten, silently begging him to tell her it wasn't true, but he shook his head and went back to making out with Mina. Rae was snickering in a corner, laughing at her friend's horror. Seiya was smiling at her tenderly, with a twinkle of humor in his eyes. Taiki was grinning…which reminded the blonde how serious this situation was. She turned her baby-blue eyes to Trista, begging the stoic woman to save her, but Trista shook her head with a faint smile.

"I _did not_ say that!" the blonde insisted with a pout.

"Yes, you did. I believe your exact words were; 'I love you more than Edward Cullen, Antonio Banderas, and Orlando Bloom put together'," Mina giggled.

"Oh, gods! Trista, make them stop teasing me!"

"Unfortunately, Serena, you did indeed say such a thing. But yes, Mina, you must stop taunting her; she was exhausted."

"Thank you," the petite blonde sniffed. She was mortified about the things she'd said while suffering the aftermath of having used the Silver Crystal. She was glad that Seiya knew she loved him, but to blurt it out in such an embarrassingly idiotic way was mortifying. She smiled at her raven-haired angel, temporarily forgetting her embarrassment. She was glad Princess Kakyuu had released the Starlights from their duties; she had been prepared to go with him to Kinmoku, but she had _not _been looking forward to arguing with the Outers about it. Relations were better, but things still had a ways to go before the Outers and the Starlights could be in the same room with one another for more than twenty minutes.

One problem in particular was Seiya and Amara. The blonde couldn't help but internally shudder as she thought about the feuds that lay ahead. The main problem was that they were far too alike on two levels that really counted; they were both overprotective of her, and they both tended to have a twisted sense of humor. Then, there was the whole alien issue, and the fact that Seiya still hadn't forgiven Amara or Michelle for their stunt with Galaxia. It was generally understood that they'd done it in an effort to save the world, but Seiya was convinced that they could have found another way. That was probably true, but no one had been able to come up with any better ideas at the time.

"What are you thinking about so intently, Odango?" Seiya's voice cut into her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," the blonde replied. She wasn't going to say what she'd been thinking about…that would be suicide.

Seiya smiled softly at her, and the blonde practically felt herself melt. She loved that smile…it always made her feel completely secure, like nothing could ever hurt her…

It had been about a week since her final confrontation with Guilt, and she had no regrets. Any she might have had had been dispelled by Seiya and the rest of the gang. Now she had to face the ultimate test; she had to face her dad in court. Not only was there a divorce to worry about; she also had to testify against her dad for battery. That was a frightening prospect, but she knew that Seiya would be there for her, and that he would make sure she got through this.

"I know you better than that, Odango. Are you worrying about facing your dad in court?"

"A little," she admitted. "I hear defense attorneys can be really rough."

"They've got a mountain of evidence against him," Amy said practically. "The defense has their work cut out for them if they want to make a real case."

"Mostly, it's the fact that every time I look at him, I remember when I found out what he was really doing when he said he was working late…" the blonde grimaced.

"We're all sorry you had to see that," Lita said quietly. "No one deserves that. Least of all you."

"I'll be okay…it just grosses me out sometimes. I just hope it'll be over soon. My mom said that it would be pretty much an open-and-shut case, but considering my dad's temper, I'm not sure."

"If your dad blows up in court, he'll get hauled out of there by the bailiff so fast that it won't even be funny," Rae said.

"They might need two bailiffs," Serena muttered. "Oh, well…I guess there's no point in freaking out…I've got better things to do."

"Like what?"Mina asked cluelessly.

"Like this." Serena took Seiya's face in her hands and kissed him passionately. All of the Outers groaned, and Mina muttered something about being sorry she'd asked. Seiya didn't care; he was consumed by love along with Serena. The kiss deepened, and Yaten decided he'd seen enough.

"GET A ROOM!"

**The End**


End file.
